In his worst moment of popularity since he became president of Argentina, Javier Milei returned this Saturday to his political origins to mobilize his followers ahead of the legislative elections of 2025. “From here on out we are only going to have good news and in “In 2025 we are going to have an electoral disaster,” Milei said on the stage set up in Parque Lezama in Buenos Aires. “The righteous are going to triumph, those of us who defend the ideas of freedom are going to triumph, and the populists are going to sink,” the far-right leader predicted in a prophetic tone before a convinced public that responded with cries of “Freedom!”, “ Freedom!”. The consensus was breaking a few meters away. Just crossing the perimeter of the park, some neighbors banged pots and pans to protest against the presidential words; Others blamed the milleistas for the increase in poverty, in record numbers since 2004.
Milei, a 53-year-old economist, chose the same place where he made the leap into politics three years ago to present La Libertad Avanza as a national party. His sister and secretary of the Presidency, Karina Milei, urged those present to defend the ideas of freedom in every home, neighborhood and university in order to “fill Congress” in the midterm elections that will be held in a year to renew positions in both chambers. The ruling party, in a clear minority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, aspires to strengthen itself to accelerate the new legal architecture with which it promises to “change Argentina forever” despite the resistance of political, union, social and journalistic forces that they oppose.
Under the slogan “To end caste we return to Parque Lezama,” the president took a mass bath with his sister and general secretary of the Presidency, Karina Milei. There were fireworks, chants and a string of insults against the opposition. “Rotten caste”, “overstuffed microphones” and “corrupt”, Milei launched. “Let’s work, let’s work, because they don’t live on ours anymore,” responded the mileista fans, who also sang the hit of the campaign: “The caste is afraid, the caste is afraid.”
Karina Milei was the opening act. In her first public speech, the woman whom the president calls “The Boss” thanked thousands of people for their attendance and asked them not to relax because they face powerful forces that “are going to take advantage of every opportunity to boycott this government.” . He sent a brief and direct message to his people: winning the Presidency “was only the first battle” and to stop the enemies at the polls next year it is necessary to “work twice as hard as them.”
The president’s speech remained, however, within the hyperbolic script of his first ten months in office. He recounted the path to the electoral victory last December, described the harsh inheritance he received from the Peronist Alberto Fernández and criticized opposition politicians, journalists and economists before listing the achievements of his administration, such as fiscal balance, the decrease in inflation and the brake on monetary issuance.
This Saturday’s event aimed to raise the morale of the milista troops after difficult weeks for the Government. On Thursday, the highest poverty rate in the last two decades was announced: between January and June it shot up more than eleven points, reaching 53% of the total population. At the same time that the official information was released, Karina Milei published a photograph on her social networks with one of the country’s great television divas, Susana Giménez, and her dog Thor. The image quickly went viral, surrounded by harsh criticism for the supposed disconnection of the Milei brothers with Argentine reality. The barbecue called for the 87 deputies who voted against raising pensions and whom Milei called “heroes” was still fresh in memory.
In his debut at the United Nations, Milei turned his back on the sustainable development agenda approved by 143 countries. The ultra Government’s refusal to participate in the Future Pact vote aligned it with those states it most criticizes, such as Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. The Argentine president traveled from New York to Córdoba, in the center of the country, to see first-hand the fires that have devastated more than 50,000 hectares. But his refusal to meet with firefighters and flame victims and announce any help reignited complaints about his lack of empathy.
In his speech, Milei attacked those who blame the increase in poverty and the veto on the increase in pensions. In his opinion, they are inherited problems and not his own, and he has already begun to solve them. The Argentines’ verdict on their policies will be known at the polls next year.
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