Javier Milei has demonstrated with words and gestures that the United States will be Argentina's great ally during his presidency. Senior officials of Joe Biden's Government have traveled to Buenos Aires since Milei took office on December 10, and members of the Argentine Executive have also traveled to Washington to strengthen a bilateral bond that has not been so close since the times of “the carnal relations” established during the government of Peronist Carlos Menem (1989-1999). This Wednesday, the ultra leader set foot on American soil for the third time in less than five months. His Security Minister, Patricia Bullrich, maintains a parallel agenda in Washington this week, and the next one will be the turn of the head of the economic portfolio, Luis Caputo, who will participate in the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund.
As on her visit last November, Milei began this trip with a spiritual objective linked to Judaism, a religion she studies and says she would like to convert. At that time she was visiting the grave of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson; Now, she is to be named “international ambassador of light” at The Shul synagogue in Miami. Milei will be honored with that decoration for his unqualified support for Israel, even in the midst of an offensive on Gaza that has already caused more than 33,000 Palestinian deaths. The organizers of the ceremony, which will be held behind closed doors, recognize Milei for her “tireless efforts on behalf of Israel and the global community, honoring her unwavering dedication to spreading freedom, hope and positive feelings in the face of darkness.”
Among the delegation accompanying the president, his sister and Secretary of the Presidency, Karina Milei, stands out; the designated ambassador in Washington, Gerardo Werthein; Rabbi Axel Wahnish, his spiritual guide and future Argentine ambassador to Israel; and the filmmaker Santiago Oria. The latter is the author of several documentaries about the ultra leader and also short videos designed for social networks, like the one he shared hours ago that shows Milei greeting the passengers who shared the Aerolíneas Argentinas flight with him destination to Miami.
According to the official agenda released by the Presidency, Milei will meet this Thursday with the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ilan Goldfajn, and will give a conference at the Jack D. Gordon Public Policy Institute.
Visit to the Tesla factory
The highlight of the trip will take place on Friday, when he will visit the Tesla factory in Texas and meet with its owner, billionaire businessman Elon Musk. The face to face between the two occurs after complimentary exchanges on social networks and telephone conversations. “Today I had a great conversation with Elon Musk, where I thanked him for defending the ideas of freedom and supporting our work, especially considering everything he represents as an icon of freedom in the world,” Milei said after Musk congratulated him for winning the elections. The businessman once again applauded him for the speech that the Argentine president gave at the Davos Forum.
Ideological harmony has economic interests as a background. The Milei Government has authorized the entry into Argentina of Musk's satellite internet company, Starlink, and the American's interest in the existing lithium reserves in the northwest of the South American country is known. This strategic mineral is key for the batteries of Tesla's electric vehicles, another of Musk's companies.
Milei's trip was preceded Tuesday by high-ranking American visits to Argentina. This Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry received a delegation of officials from the Department of Commerce and the Department of State in Buenos Aires. Last week, the head of the US Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, made a three-day visit that concluded with a meeting with Milei in the Patagonian city of Ushuaia.
The president traveled the almost 3,000 kilometers that separate Buenos Aires from the southernmost city in Argentina to demonstrate that the United States will be his great partner in defense matters. Dressed as a military man during an event in which the anthems of Argentina and the United States were heard, Milei stated that “the West is at risk” and that Argentines have “a natural affinity” with the United States, with whom they share “the defense of life.” , freedom and private property.” Milei announced there the construction of a joint naval base in the area, of which no further details have been given so far. According to the Argentine president, it will be a large logistics center that will function as a gateway for both countries to Antarctica.
military investment
“My ally is the United States. Whether Democrats or Republicans, the ally is the United States,” he reiterated in his last interview, broadcast this weekend through the digital medium Neura. “Wow, they are supporting us, they gave us a Hercules, hey, come on!” highlighted the Argentine president, in reference to the donation of a US plane that had been agreed upon by the government of Alberto Fernández.
![Javier Milei during the ceremony in which he received the Hercules C-130 aircraft from the United States, on April 5.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/nY9S0Oxwpb3rh3MW_MDLmLctqOI=/414x0/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/GWJTTMGOJDPCRWH57KFSHCJHBY.jpg)
The far-right Executive intends to strengthen the Armed Forces and expand their functions so that they can confront the drug crime that plagues cities like Rosario. Changing the law that today prohibits them from getting involved in internal security tasks would mean breaking one of the consensuses built after the recovery of democracy, but the debate advances hand in hand with a renewal of military equipment. “Investment in defense is once again a priority. “We are equipping our Forces and recovering the country's supersonic capacity,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement weeks ago.
That goal is behind the final stop on Milei's international trip: Denmark. The Government will sign the acquisition, with financial assistance from the United States, of 24 Danish F-16 combat aircraft. Milei will meet with the Prime Minister of the Scandinavian country, Mette Frederiksen, and has undergone medical studies to play a leading role in the ceremony: he intends to board one of the fighters that will modernize the Argentine Air Force fleet as co-pilot.
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