Washington (AFP) – Argentine President Javier Milei met with Donald Trump on the sidelines of a gathering of US conservatives Saturday, where he praised his American counterpart’s reciprocal tariffs plans that have shocked trading partners. Addressing the yearly Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, the ultra-libertarian president often echoed Trump’s positions as he attacked what he called “a political class with a God complex.”
Trump, whom Milei sees as an ideological ally, has vowed to impose reciprocal tariffs beginning April 2 — applying the same fee levels to imports that other countries place on US products. Milei said he wanted to make Argentina “the first country in the world to join this reciprocity agreement that the Trump administration is asking for in trade matters.” Trump has also threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Argentina is one of the Latin American countries that would be most affected.
– ‘Second independence’ –
During their meeting, Milei and Trump discussed the Argentine leader’s “groundbreaking economic reforms” and developing closer ties between the nations, the White House said. It added that Trump invited Milei to visit Washington “in the coming months.” Milei needs US support in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), whose managing director Kristalina Georgieva he met earlier this week.
In a speech mostly in Spanish, Milei said the United States and Argentina needed to achieve their “second independence.” The first, he said, was from European colonizers, while “the second will free us from the tyranny of the state.” “They say Trump and I are a danger to democracy, when in reality they are saying we are a danger to them” — the critics — said Milei. “They are right, we are their worst nightmare.”
– ‘Dear friend’ Musk –
He doubled down on a series of Trump positions, approving the dismantling of aid agency USAID and — in words echoing a speech by Vice President JD Vance — castigating European countries which he said had arrested people “for expressing themselves on social networks.” Milei also defended his “dear friend” Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman tasked by Trump with engineering stark budget cuts.
It was Milei who on Thursday presented Musk with a chainsaw, which the Tesla and SpaceX boss proudly flaunted on the CPAC stage. Milei said his own government would “use a chainsaw” to hack through state programs deemed “superfluous, redundant, unnecessary or directly harmful.” Under Milei, Argentine inflation has fallen but the poverty rate last year surpassed 50 percent, according to official data.
© 2024 AFP
