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Tag: Argentina

  • Messi’s first Barcelona contract, signed on napkin, on sale at auction

    Messi’s first Barcelona contract, signed on napkin, on sale at auction

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    The napkin upon which Lionel Messi’s first Barcelona agreement was informally written has gone on sale at auction.

    Bonhams — a privately owned, London-based international auction house — are running the auction until May 17, with a starting price of £220,000 ($274.55k), on behalf of Argentine player agent Horacio Gaggioli.

    The agreement was reached on December 14, 2000, with Barcelona director Carles Rexach desperate for the club to sign Messi, then aged 13.

    Messi had impressed during his two-week trial with Barcelona in September 2000, but the club was initially reluctant to sign such a young, non-European player.

    Rexach became concerned that the Catalan club would miss out on the signing of Messi, who had returned to his home city of Rosario in Argentina.

    Gaggioli told The Athletic last year that he had informed Rexach in December 2000 that if they could not commit to signing Messi — the teenager would be offered to other clubs, including Real Madrid.

    Rexach invited Gaggioli to dinner in Barcelona to make a final decision over Messi, but there was one problem: Rexach did not have time to draw up or print out a contract but needed the relevant signatures on a document that would later become legally binding.

    His solution was to take a napkin and write down contractual words which would then be signed by the relevant parties, to signal a legal commitment.

    GO DEEPER

    Messi, Rosario and Newell’s: The love between a superstar, his hometown and boyhood club

    The napkin read: “In Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, and in the presence of the gentleman (the agent, Josep Maria) Minguella and Horacio (Gaggioli), Carles Rexach, technical secretary of FCB, commits under his responsibility, despite the opinion of others who are against signing Lionel Messi, as long as the agreed fees are maintained.”

    Rexach signed the napkin along with football agents, Minguella — who had worked on multiple Barca deals in the past, including Diego Maradona — and Gaggioli.

    “This is one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled,” Ian Ehling, head of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams New York said. “Yes, it’s a paper napkin, but it’s the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi’s career.

    “It changed the life of Messi, the future of FC Barcelona, and was instrumental in giving some of the most glorious moments of football to billions of fans around the globe.”

    Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004 and scored 672 goals for the club in 778 appearances before leaving in 2021 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)


    Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004 and scored 672 goals for the club in 778 appearances before leaving in 2021 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)

    Commenting on the event years later, Gaggioli called it a “marvellous moment”.

    “That napkin broke the deadlock,” he added.

    “My lawyers looked at it. The napkin had everything: my name, his name, the date. It’s notarised. It was a legal document.

    “It’ll be a part of me for the rest of my life. The napkin will always be at my side. I live in Andorra and I’ve kept the napkin in a safe inside a bank.”

    On Wednesday, Minguella told Catalunya Radio that the napkin had been in his office for years and that he had offered Barcelona the chance to display it in the club’s museum.

    He claims he did not receive a response from Barcelona and that he will now ask lawyers to discover who is the legal owner of the napkin and how anyone can prove that they legally own it to put it for sale.

    Minguella has insisted he does not wish to profit from the napkin, but that he would prefer to see it in Barcelona’s museum or that if it is sold, for the money to go to the club’s foundation.

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    GO DEEPER

    Lionel Messi: The evolution of the greatest footballer of all time

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    ‘A thuggish flamingo’: Why China turned on Lionel Messi

    (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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    The New York Times

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  • I’m the world’s most glam fighter pilot but now I want to be Miss Universe

    I’m the world’s most glam fighter pilot but now I want to be Miss Universe

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    A GLAMOROUS fighter pilot decided to swap the cockpit for a different kind of runway as she now wants to become Miss Universe.

    Michelle Martin, who joined the Chilean Air force at 18, will now represent her homeland in the famous beauty pageant.

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    Military fighter pilot Michelle Martin will run for Miss UniverseCredit: Jam Press
    The 24-year-old often flaunts her figure and beauty on social media

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    The 24-year-old often flaunts her figure and beauty on social mediaCredit: Jam Press
    Born in Venezuela, Michelle joined the Chilean Air Force at 18

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    Born in Venezuela, Michelle joined the Chilean Air Force at 18Credit: Jam Press

    At 24 years old, Michelle has risen to the rank of Second Lieutenant.

    But military career did not stop her from being one of the most glamorous fighter pilots out there.

    Michelle often flaunts her beauty on and off duty – from a tight sleek bun look matched with her uniform, to summery snaps at the beach.

    She was born in Venezuela and settled in Chile with her family more than five years ago.

    Read more about Miss Universe

    Daughter of a Chilean father and a Venezuelan mother, Michelle will represent the city of Puerto Montt where she has been based for several years.

    Talking about her decision to take part in Miss Universe, she said: “My decision to participate was enthusiastically welcomed by my family in Chile and Venezuela, as well as by my Air Force colleagues.”

    “I really love military life. “The career is very nice and you grow integrally,” she said in a previous interview.

    Michelle is one of only a few candidates who aren’t involved in the entertainment industry.

    This year, Miss Universe Chile representatives include Big Brother star, Francisca Maira and influencer, Bárbara Lackington, who appeared on MasterChef in 2019.

    Trans model, Ariel Cordero, has also been announced as a candidate.

    The final of Miss Universe 2024 will take place in Mexico City later this year on November 17.

    An organisation spokesperson said: “We would like to present Michelle Martin who qualified for Miss Universe Chile 2024 by in-person casting.

    “Soon you will be able to learn more about Michelle in our Miss Universe Chile app.”

    Last week, it was confirmed that a 72-year-old grandmother is vying to become Miss Universe Argentina.

    If successful, Estela Menéndez hopes to represent her country at the international event this year.

    She was able to enter the pageant after the age limit was dropped for 2024.

    Previously, candidates had to be aged between 18 and 28 years.

    Filipino fashion designer Jocelyn Cubales said she is ready to walk the catwalk at 69 years old after she also entered Miss Universe.

    Whilst some women might want to shun the spotlight, Jocelyn is happy appearing on stage and has entered numerous pageants before.

    This includes the Ms Asia International Global and Mrs Mother of the Universe competition, both of which she won in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

    When the Miss Universe organisation relaxed these rules last year, Jocelyn knew she wanted to enter the pageant.

    Even press attention and the younger competitors don’t seem to faze this 69-year-old, with her taking part in a regional leg of the Miss Universe pageant in Quezon City last month.

    The fashion design is no stranger to barring all though, regularly wear stomach barring outfit for pageants and modelling gigs.

    Even when she is off duty, the 69-year-old is still wearing denim hot pants and high heels – proving that age really is just a number.

    Michelle will represent the city of Puerto Montt, where she has been based for years

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    Michelle will represent the city of Puerto Montt, where she has been based for yearsCredit: Jam Press
    At 24, she has risen through the ranks and became Second Lieutenant

    6

    At 24, she has risen through the ranks and became Second LieutenantCredit: instagram
    Michelle said the news to join the beauty pageant were welcomed by her family and friends at the Air Force

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    Michelle said the news to join the beauty pageant were welcomed by her family and friends at the Air ForceCredit: Jam Press



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    Juliana Cruz Lima

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  • Photos: Argentine police battle protesters opposed to sweeping reform bill

    Photos: Argentine police battle protesters opposed to sweeping reform bill

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    Police in Argentina have fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters gathered outside Congress in Buenos Aires as lawmakers debated newly elected President Javier Milei’s sweeping economic, social and political reform package.

    Opposition legislators stormed out of the building at one point to observe and denounce the police action, but later went back inside to take their seats and the debate resumed until past midnight.

    Local media reported three people injured and several arrests. The Buenos Aires press union reported at least a dozen journalists were hit by rubber bullets, including one in the face.

    It all unfolded on the second day of what is expected to be a marathon debate on Milei’s so-called omnibus reform bill.

    The 53-year-old political outsider – a libertarian and self-described anarcho-capitalist – won a resounding election victory last October on a wave of fury over decades of economic crises marked by debt, rampant money printing, inflation and fiscal deficit.

    Milei began his term by devaluing the peso by more than 50 percent, cutting state subsidies for fuel and transport, reducing the number of ministries by half, and scrapping hundreds of rules so as to deregulate the economy.

    His substantial reform package touches on all areas of public and private life, from privatisations to cultural issues, the penal code, divorce and the status of football clubs.

    But many Argentinians are already up in arms and staged a strike less than two months into his term.

    “Milei promises his austerity measures and reforms will bring down soaring inflation in Argentina and jumpstart the economy,” Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo, reporting from Thursday’s protest, sad.

    She noted, however, that the unrest showed “how difficult the months ahead will be and how the president is willing to confront those who dare oppose him”.

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  • Messi’s first Barcelona contract, signed on napkin, to be sold at auction

    Messi’s first Barcelona contract, signed on napkin, to be sold at auction

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    The napkin upon which Lionel Messi’s first Barcelona agreement was informally written will be sold at auction.

    Bonhams — a privately owned, London-based international auction house — will run the auction between March 18-27, with a starting price of £300,000 ($381k), on behalf of Argentine player agent Horacio Gaggioli.

    The agreement was reached on December 14, 2000, with Barcelona director Carles Rexach desperate for the club to sign Messi, then aged 13.

    Messi had impressed during his two-week trial with Barcelona in September 2000, but the club was initially reluctant to sign such a young, non-European player.

    Rexach became concerned that the Catalan club would miss out on the signing of Messi, who had returned to his home city of Rosario in Argentina.

    Gaggioli told The Athletic last year that he had informed Rexach in December 2000 that if they could not commit to signing Messi — the teenager would be offered to other clubs, including Real Madrid.

    Rexach invited Gaggioli to dinner in Barcelona to make a final decision over Messi, but there was one problem: Rexach did not have time to draw up or print out a contract but needed the relevant signatures on a document that would later become legally binding.

    His solution was to take a napkin and write down contractual words which would then be signed by the relevant parties, to signal a legal commitment.

    GO DEEPER

    Messi, Rosario and Newell’s: The love between a superstar, his hometown and boyhood club

    The napkin read: “In Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, and in the presence of the gentleman (the agent, Josep Maria) Minguella and Horacio (Gaggioli), Carles Rexach, technical secretary of FCB, commits under his responsibility, despite the opinion of others who are against signing Lionel Messi, as long as the agreed fees are maintained.”

    Rexach signed the napkin along with football agents, Minguella — who had worked on multiple Barca deals in the past, including Diego Maradona — and Gaggioli.

    “This is one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled,” Ian Ehling, head of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams New York said. “Yes, it’s a paper napkin, but it’s the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi’s career.

    “It changed the life of Messi, the future of FC Barcelona, and was instrumental in giving some of the most glorious moments of football to billions of fans around the globe.”

    Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004 and scored 672 goals for the club in 778 appearances before leaving in 2021 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)


    Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004 and scored 672 goals for the club in 778 appearances before leaving in 2021 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)

    Commenting on the event years later, Gaggioli called it a “marvellous moment”.

    “That napkin broke the deadlock,” he added.

    “My lawyers looked at it. The napkin had everything: my name, his name, the date. It’s notarised. It was a legal document.

    “It’ll be a part of me for the rest of my life. The napkin will always be at my side. I live in Andorra and I’ve kept the napkin in a safe inside a bank.”

    On Wednesday, Minguella told Catalunya Radio that the napkin had been in his office for years and that he had offered Barcelona the chance to display it in the club’s museum.

    He claims he did not receive a response from Barcelona and that he will now ask lawyers to discover who is the legal owner of the napkin and how anyone can prove that they legally own it to put it for sale.

    Minguella has insisted he does not wish to profit from the napkin, but that he would prefer to see it in Barcelona’s museum or that if it is sold, for the money to go to the club’s foundation.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Lionel Messi: The evolution of the greatest footballer of all time

    (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)



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    The New York Times

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  • Argentina, Once One of the Richest Countries, Is Now One of the Poorest. Javier Milei Could Help Fix That.

    Argentina, Once One of the Richest Countries, Is Now One of the Poorest. Javier Milei Could Help Fix That.

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    Argentina actually elected a libertarian president.

    Javier Milei campaigned with a chainsaw, promising to cut the size of government.

    Argentina’s leftists had so clogged the country’s economic arteries with regulations that what once was one of the world’s richest countries is now one of the poorest.

    Inflation is more than 200 percent.

    People save their whole lives—and then find their savings worth nearly nothing.

    They got so fed up they did something never done before in modern history: They elected a full-throated libertarian.

    Milei understands that government can’t create wealth.

    He surprised diplomats at the World Economic Forum this month by saying, “The state is the problem!”

    He spoke up for capitalism: “Do not be intimidated by the political caste or by parasites who live off the state…. If you make money, it’s because you offer a better product at a better price, thereby contributing to general well-being. Do not surrender to the advance of the state. The state is not the solution.”

    Go, Milei! I wish current American politicians talked that way.

    In the West, young people turn socialist. In Argentina, they live under socialist policies. They voted for Milei.

    Sixty-nine percent of voters under 25 voted for him. That helped him win by a whopping 3 million votes.

    He won promising to reverse “decades of decadence.” He told the Economic Forum, “If measures are adopted that hinder the free functioning of markets, competition, price systems, trade, and ownership of private property, the only possible fate is poverty.”

    Right.

    Poor countries demonstrate that again and again.

    The media say Milei will never pass his reforms, and leftists may yet stop him.

    But already, “He was able to repeal rent controls, price controls,” says economist Daniel Di Martino in my new video. He points out that Milei already “eliminated all restrictions on exports and imports, all with one sign of a pen.”

    “He can just do that without Congress?” I ask.

    “The president of Argentina has a lot more power than the president of the United States.”

    Milei also loosened rules limiting where airlines can fly.

    “Now [some] air fares are cheaper than bus fares!” says Di Martino.

    He scrapped laws that say, “Buy in Argentina.” I point out that America has “Buy America” rules.

    “It only makes poor people poorer because it increases costs!” Di Martino replies, “Why shouldn’t Argentinians be able to buy Brazilian pencils or Chilean grapes?”

    “To support Argentina,” I push back.

    “Guess what?” Says Di Martino, “Not every country is able to produce everything at the lowest cost. Imagine if you had to produce bananas in America.”

    Argentina’s leftist governments tried to control pretty much everything.

    “The regulations were such that everything not explicitly legal was illegal,” laughs Di Martino. “Now…everything not illegal is legal.”

    One government agency Milei demoted was a “Department for Women, Gender and Diversity.” DiMartino says that reminds him of Venezuela’s Vice Ministry for Supreme Social Happiness. “These agencies exist just so government officials can hire their cronies.”

    Cutting government jobs and subsidies for interest groups is risky for vote-seeking politicians. There are often riots in countries when politicians cut subsidies. Sometimes politicians get voted out. Or jailed.

    “What’s incredible about Milei,” notes Di Martino, “is that he was able to win on the promise of cutting subsidies.”

    That is remarkable. Why would Argentinians vote for cuts?

    “Argentinians are fed up with the status quo,” replies Di Martino.

    Milei is an economist. He named his dogs after Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, and Robert Lucas, all libertarian economists.

    I point out that most Americans don’t know who those men were.

    “The fact that he’s naming his dogs after these famous economists,” replies Di Martino, “shows that he’s really a nerd. It’s a good thing to have an economics nerd president of a country.”

    “What can Americans learn from Argentina?”

    “Keep America prosperous. So we never are in the spot of Argentina in the first place. That requires free markets.”

    Yes.

    Actually, free markets plus rule of law. When people have those things, prosperity happens.

    It’s good that once again, a country may try it.

    COPYRIGHT 2024 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.

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    John Stossel

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  • Argentines protest against new austerity measures

    Argentines protest against new austerity measures

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    The president has said that the austerity measures are due to years of overspending that have resulted in huge debts.

    Argentine unions have begun a 12-hour strike in the capital to protest against tough economic reforms by President Javier Milei.

    Wednesday’s demonstration is the most significant show of opposition to Milei’s spending cuts and privatisation plans since he took office last month and pledged to fix an economy dealing with 211 percent inflation.

    The strike, coordinated by the umbrella union, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), comes amid scrutiny of Milei’s two significant reforms: the “omnibus” bill going through Congress and a “mega-decree” deregulating the economy.

    “Milei wants a country where poverty and informal work reaches 90 percent,” union member and national opposition deputy Hugo Yasky said on local radio station Radio Con Vos.

    “Now there is no job creation. What there is now is widespread misery, people’s desperation, there are no measures to mitigate the damage they are causing.”

    Demonstrators hold a placard that reads ‘down with the decree’ as they protest near the Pueyrredon Bridge during a one-day national strike, in Buenos Aires, Argentina [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

    Earlier on Wednesday, the omnibus bill was approved by a committee in the lower congressional house, the Chamber of Deputies.

    The mass strikes began at 12pm (15:00 GMT) and affected transportation, banks, hospitals, and public services.

    Local airlines said they had been forced to cancel hundreds of fights due to the demonstration.

    Protesters held placards that read “The homeland is not for sale” and “Eating is not a privilege” as some others held a giant puppet of Milei.

    Another poster said, “Today’s retirees are yesterday’s workers, stop robbing them!”

    Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman, reporting from Buenos Aires, said it was “impossible” to determine the number of people attending the protest due to its scale.

    “There seems to be a kind of unofficial agreement with the strikers and the security minister to allow these huge numbers of people to be here but only if they cannot disrupt traffic,” Newman said.

    “It’s still very, very tense, and it’s an ongoing situation here, but it’s a huge turnout so far.”

    Milei’s government said that the austerity measures are due to years of overspending that have left the South American country with huge debts to local and international creditors, including a $44bn deal with the International Monetary Fund.

    “There is no strike that stops us, there is no threat that intimidates us,” Milei’s security minister and former presidential election rival Patricia Bullrich wrote on X.

    “It’s mafia unionists, poverty managers, complicit judges and corrupt politicians, all defending their privileges, resisting the change that society chose democratically.”

    Milei, an economist and former TV pundit, assumed the presidency after a shock win in last year’s general election.

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  • The ‘dirty dozen’ of Davos

    The ‘dirty dozen’ of Davos

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    Voiced by artificial intelligence.

    It’s that time of year again: Leaders, business titans, philanthropists and celebs descend on the Swiss ski town of Davos to discuss the fate of the world and do deals/shots with the global elite at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

    This year’s theme: “Rebuilding trust.” Prescient, given the dumpster fire the world seems to be turning into lately, both literally (climate change) and figuratively (where to even begin?).

    As always, the Davos great and good will be rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s absolute top-drawer dirtbags. While there’s been a distinct dearth of Russian oligarchs in attendance at the WEF since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Donald Trump will be tied up with the Iowa caucus, there are still plenty of would-be autocrats, dictators, thugs, extortionists, misery merchants, spoilers and political pariahs on the Davos guest list.

    1. Argentine President Javier Milei

    Known as the Donald Trump of Argentina — and also as “The Madman” and “The Wig” — the chainsaw-wielding Javier Milei has it all: a fanatical supporter base, background as a TV shock jock, libertarian anarcho-capitalist policies (except when it comes to abortion), and a … memorable … hairdo.

    A long-time Davos devotee (he’s been attending the WEF for years), Milei’s libertarian policies have turned from kooky thought bubbles to concerning reality after he was elected president of South America’s second-largest economy, riding a wave of discontent with the political establishment (sound familiar?). The question now is how far Milei will go in delivering on his campaign promises to hack back public service and state spending, close the Argentine central bank and drop the peso.

    If you do get stuck talking to Milei in the congress center or on the slopes, here are some conversation starters …

    Milei’s likes: 1) American mobster Al Capone — “a hero.” 2) His cloned English Mastiff dogs — his advisers. 3) Spreading the gospel on tantric sex. 4) Selling human organs on the open market.

    Milei’s dislikes: 1) Pope Francis — “a filthy leftist” and “communist turd” — though the Milei administration has recently invited him back to Argentina to visit. 2) Taxes — insisting (incorrectly) Jesus didn’t pay ’em. 3) Sex education — a Marxist plot to destroy the family. 4) Fighting climate change — a hoax, naturally.

    2. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    Rumor has it that Mohammed bin Salman will make his first in-person WEF appearance at this year’s event, accompanied by a giant posse of top Saudi officials.

    It’s the ultimate redemption arc for the repressive authoritarian ruler of a country with an appalling human rights record — who, according to United States intelligence, personally ordered the brutal assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. 

    Rumor has it that Mohammed bin Salman will make his first in-person WEF appearance at this year’s event | Leon Neal/Getty Images

    Perhaps MBS would still be a WEF pariah — consigned to rubbing shoulders with mere B-listers at his own Davos in the desert — if it were not for that other one-time Davos-darling-turned-persona-non-grata: Russian President Vladimir Putin. By launching his invasion of Ukraine, which killed thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of troops, Putin managed to push the West back into MBS’ embrace. Guess it’s all just oil under the bridge now.

    Here’s a piece of free advice: Try to avoid being caught getting a signature MBS fist-bump. Unless, of course, you’re the next person on our list …

    3. Jared Kushner, founder of Affinity Partners

    Jared Kushner is the closest anyone on the mountain is likely to come to Trump, the former — and possibly future — billionaire baron-cum-anti-elitist president of the United States of America. 

    On the one hand, a chat with The Donald’s son-in-law in the days just after the Iowa caucus would probably be quite a get for the Davos devotee. On other hand … it’s Jared Kushner.

    The 43-year-old, who is married to Ivanka Trump and served as a senior adviser to the former president during his time in office, leveraged his stint in the White House to build up a lucrative consulting career, focused mainly on the Middle East.

    Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, is largely funded through Gulf countries. That includes a $2 billion investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, led by bin Salman — which was, coincidentally, pushed through despite objections by the crown prince’s own advisers. 

    Kushner struck up a friendship and alliance with MBS during his father-in-law’s term in office, raising major conflict-of-interest suspicions for the Trump administration — especially when the then-U.S. president refused to condemn the Saudi leader in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, despite the CIA concluding he was directly involved.

    4. Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s president

    What does an autocrat do with a breakaway state within his country’s borders? Take advantage of Russia’s attention being elsewhere along with the EU’s thirst for his gas to launch a lightning-fast offensive, seize control, deport those pesky ancestral residents, lock up any rascally reporters — and then call a snap election to capitalize on the freshly whipped patriotic fervor, of course!

    Not that elections matter much for Ilham Aliyev — a little ballot stuffing here, a bit of double-voting there, add a sprinkle of violence and suppression — and hey presto, you’ve got a winning recipe, for two decades and counting.

    Running Azerbaijan is something of a family business for the Aliyevs — Ilham assumed power after the death of his father, Heydar Aliyev, an ex-Soviet KGB officer who ruled the country for decades. And the junior Aliyev changed Azerbaijan’s constitution to pave the path to power for the next generation of his family — and appointed his own wife as vice president to boot.

    5. Chinese Premier Li Qiang

    Li Qiang is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ultra-loyal right-hand man, and will represent his boss and his country at the World Economic Forum this year.

    Li’s claim to infamy: imposing a brutal lockdown on the entirety of Shanghai for weeks during the coronavirus pandemic, which trapped its 25 million-plus inhabitants at home while many struggled to get food, tend to their animals or seek medical help — and tanking the city’s economy in the process.

    Li’s also the guy selling (and whitewashing) China’s Uyghur policy in the Islamic world. In case you need a refresher, China has detained Uyghurs, who are mostly Muslim, in internment camps in the northwest region of Xinjiang, where there have been allegations of torture, slavery, forced sterilization, sexual abuse and brainwashing. China’s actions have been branded genocide by the U.S. State Department, and as potential crimes against humanity by the United Nations.

    Li Qiang will represent his boss and his country at the World Economic Forum this year | Johannes Simon/Getty Images

    The Chinese government claims the camps carry out “reeducation” to combat terrorism — a story Li has brought forward during recent meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Guess we know whom Li will be lunching with.

    6. Rwandan President Paul Kagame

    Nicknamed “the Napoleon of Africa” in a nod to his campaign to seize power in 1994, Paul Kagame has ruled over the land of a thousand hills since. He’s often praised for overseeing what is probably the greatest development success story of modern Africa; he’s also a dictator.

    The former military officer changed the Rwandan constitution to scrap an inconvenient term limit and cement his firm grip on the levers of power, while clamping down on dissent. But despite being accused of overseeing the imprisonment, exile and torture of Rwandan dissidents and journalists, Kagame has managed to stay in the West’s good books — and on the Davos guest list. 

    7. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico

    Slovakia just can’t seem to quit Robert Fico. 

    Forced from office in 2018 by mass protests following the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, Fico rose from the political ashes to become Slovakian prime minister for the fourth time late last year. His Smer party ran a Putin-friendly campaign, pledging to end all military support for Ukraine.

    Slovakian courts are still working through multiple organized crime cases stemming from the last time Smer was in power, involving oligarchs alleged to have profited from state contracts; former top police brass and senior military intelligence officers; and parliamentarians from all three parties in Fico’s new coalition government.

    8. President of Hungary Katalin Novák

    Katalin Novák, elected Hungarian president in 2022, must’ve pulled the short straw: she’s been sent to Davos to fly the flag for the EU’s pariah state. Luckily, the 46-year-old is used to being the odd one out at a shindig: She’s both the first woman and the youngest-ever Hungarian president.

    You’d think Novák, given her background, would be a trail-blazing feminist seeking to inspire women to reach for the stars. But the arch social conservative is a hero of the international anti-abortion, anti-equality, anti-feminism movement.

    It’s her thoughts on the gender pay gap, though, that ought to get attention at the famously male-dominated World Economic Forum: In an infamous video posted back in late 2020, Novák told the sisterhood: “Do not believe that women have to constantly compete with men. Do not believe that every waking moment of our lives must be spent with comparing ourselves to men, and that we should work in at least the same position, for at least the same pay they do.” That’s us told.

    9. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet

    You may be surprised to see Hun Manet on this list: The new, Western-educated Cambodian prime minister has been touted in some circles as a potential modernizer and reformer. 

    But Hun Manet is less a breath of fresh air and a lot more continuation of the same stale story. Having inherited his position from his father, the longtime autocrat Hun Sen, Hun Manet has shown no signs of wanting to reform or modernize Cambodia. While some say it’s too early to tell where he’ll land (given his dad’s still on the scene, along with his Communist loyalists), the fact is: Many hallmarks of autocracy are still present in Cambodia. Repression of the opposition? Check. Dodgy “elections”? Check. Widespread graft and clientelism? Check and check. 

    10. Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani

    How has a small kingdom of 2.6 million inhabitants in the Persian Gulf managed to play a starring role in so many explosive scandals?

    There were the influence-buying allegations that claimed the scalps of multiple European Union lawmakers. The claims of undisclosed lobbying by two Trump-aligned Republican operatives. The multiple controversies over attempts at sportswashing. Not to mention the questions raised about what officials in the emirate knew ahead of the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas — of which Qatar is the biggest financial backer.

    Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani is the prime minister of Qatar, a country that’s played a starring role in many explosive scandals | Chris J. Ratcliffe/AFP via Getty Images

    You’d think that sort of record would see Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani shunned by the world’s top brass. Nah! Just this month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Qatari leader and told him the U.S. was “deeply grateful for your ongoing leadership in this effort, for the tireless work which you undertook and that continues, to try to free the remaining hostages.” 

    See you on the slopes, Mohammed!

    11. Polish President Andrzej Duda

    When you compare Polish President Andrzej Duda to some of the others on this list, he doesn’t seem to measure up. He’s not a dictator running a violent petro-state, hasn’t invaded any neighbors or even wielded a chainsaw on stage.

    But Duda is yesterday’s man. As the last one standing from Poland’s nationalist Law and Justice party that was swept out of office last year, Duda’s holding on for dear life to his own relevance, doing his best to act as a spoiler against the Donald Tusk-led government by wielding his veto powers and harboring convicted lawmakers. All of which is to say: When you catch up with President Duda at Davos, don’t assume he’s speaking for Poland.

    12. Amin Nasser, CEO of Aramco

    The Saudi Arabian state oil and gas company is Aramco — the world’s biggest energy firm — and Amin Nasser is its boss. If you read Aramco’s press releases, you’d be forgiven for assuming it is also the world’s biggest champion of the green energy transition. Spoiler alert: It’s far from it.

    Exhibit A: Aramco is reportedly a top corporate polluter, with environment nongovernmental organization ClientEarth reporting that it accounts for more than 4 percent of the globe’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1965. Exhibit B: Bloomberg reported in 2021 that it understated its carbon footprint by as much as 50 percent. 

    Nasser, meanwhile, has criticized the idea that climate action should mean countries “either shut down or slow down big time” their fossil fuel production. Say that to Al Gore’s face!

    This article has been updated to reflect the fact Shou Zi Chew is no longer going to attend the World Economic Forum.

    Dionisios Sturis, Peter Snowdon, Suzanne Lynch and Paul de Villepin contributed reporting.

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  • China reportedly suspends US$6.5 billion currency swap agreement with Argentina

    China reportedly suspends US$6.5 billion currency swap agreement with Argentina

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    China has suspended a US$6.5 billion currency swap agreement with Argentina, and the freeze remains in effect until President Javier Milei demonstrates a clear intention to engage with Beijing, Argentine media have reported.

    News of the move comes just 10 days into the tenure of the new president, who campaigned on breaking ties with China, and underscores the challenge Milei will face in trying to follow through with those pledges.

    Asked to comment, Zhicheng Xie, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Argentina, declined to confirm the reports.

    Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

    In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also refused to confirm or deny the reports on Wednesday, only saying that China remained committed “to cooperation with Argentina on the basis of equality and mutual benefit”.

    Argentine President Javier Milei speaking at his inauguration on December 10 in Buenos Aires. Photo: AP alt=Argentine President Javier Milei speaking at his inauguration on December 10 in Buenos Aires. Photo: AP>

    The funding is part of a deal renewed annually since 2009, crucial for Buenos Aires due to its negative holdings of international dollar reserves. Argentina has relied on such swaps as one of its few credit options, given the South American nation’s reputation for defaulting on international debt.

    The funds, which China first promised in October to Sergio Massa, then Argentina’s economic minister, were primarily intended to bolster imports and meet obligations to the International Monetary Fund.

    Massa was also running for president at the time and lost to Milei, whose campaign included significant anti-China rhetoric. Despite that, after his inauguration on December 10, Milei reached out to Chinese President Xi Jinping and requested continuation of those agreements, according to Pagina 12, an Argentine newspaper.

    Two days later, Argentina’s foreign affairs minister, Diana Mondino, met with Wu Weihua, Xi’s special envoy to the inauguration, and urged a swift renewal of the agreement.

    According to Infobae, an Argentine news website, China’s decision followed Argentina’s purchase of used F-16 fighters from Denmark. The aircraft were originally manufactured in the US.

    Confirmation of the deal has not been officially announced, but Infobae reported that Luis Petri, Argentina’s defence minister, met on Monday with Xavier Julian Isaac, the brigadier general of its air force, to confirm Milei’s intention to acquire the F-16s.

    Before Milei’s election, Argentina had been in talks to acquire new Chinese JF-17 Thunder jets. That prospect reportedly displeased Washington, which is trying to limit Beijing’s influence in South America.

    The US has not only approved the sale of the F-16s to Argentina but also pledged weapons, training, logistical support and spare parts for the jets.

    Infobae also reported that China was waiting for “a clear gesture of goodwill or friendship” from Argentina to resume the currency swap.

    The news site said that China’s ambassador to Argentina, Wang Wei, had been recalled to Beijing to discuss Milei’s plans and approach to projects Xi has prioritised.

    Patricio Giusto of the Sino-Argentine Observatory in Buenos Aires called China’s freezing of funds concerning. Without the financial cushion provided by the US$6.5 billion, he noted, Argentina would need to renegotiate its debt with the IMF, demanding a search for alternative funding sources, a task Giusto deemed “not easy at all”.

    Giusto suggested that China’s displeasure might extend beyond these individual decisions, seeking a broader shift in Argentine foreign policy. Buenos Aires’ recent refusal to join the China-led Brics economic bloc, and its potential abandonment of a Belt and Road Initiative project signal a possible realignment of Argentina’s international partnerships, which might prompt China to exert pressure through economic means.

    “This interdependence we have with China is irreplaceable. We cannot replace it now with the US or Europe,” he said.

    Milei’s administration, he said, should “try to understand better what China represents and how Chinese diplomacy works, because there will be a lot of trouble ahead if this [relationship] is not properly addressed”.

    This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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  • Argentina’s Milei starts shock therapy by devaluing peso by 50 percent

    Argentina’s Milei starts shock therapy by devaluing peso by 50 percent

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    New president Milei warns of painful measures as currency value slashed, subsidies cut, public works tenders cancelled.

    Argentina’s government has announced it will slash the value of its currency, the peso, by more than 50 percent against the US dollar as its new far-right president seeks radical solutions to fix the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.

    President Javier Milei‘s economy chief announced the painful measure on Tuesday, saying it was necessary for Argentina to “avoid catastrophe”.

    The devaluation would drop the peso’s value from 400 to the dollar to more than 800 to the dollar, a blow to tens of millions of Argentinians already struggling to make ends meet.

    Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced a raft of other austerity measures, including sweeping subsidy cuts, the cancellation of tenders for public works projects, and plans to axe nine government ministries.

    However, the government plans to double social spending for the poorest to help them absorb the economic shock.

    “For a few months, we’re going to be worse than before,” Caputo said in his televised address.

    “If we continue as we are, we are inevitably heading toward hyperinflation,” he said.

    A sign outside a store reads, in Spanish, ‘We accept dollars’, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 12 [Tomas Cuesta/Reuters]

    ‘Tough pill to swallow’

    The planned measures drew praise from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to whom Argentina owes $45bn, but sparked harsh criticism from some progressive activists.

    Left-wing activist Juan Grabois said that Caputo had declared “a social murder without flinching like a psychopath about to massacre his defenceless victims”.

    “Your salary in the private sector, in the public sector, in the popular, social and solidarity economy, in the cooperative or informal sector, for retirees and pensioners, will get you half in the supermarket,” Grabois said. “Do you really think that people are not going to protest?”

    Jimena Blanco, chief analyst with risk consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft, said Milei’s government was trying to temper an otherwise guaranteed economic crash landing.

    “He promised a very tough pill to swallow and he’s delivering that pill,” she said. “The question is how long will popular patience last in terms of waiting for the economic situation to change.”

    Economic shock

    The economic overhaul is part of the new strategy by Milei, who was sworn in on Sunday and has aggressively sought to tackle the fiscal deficit he believes is the root of Argentina’s economic woes.

    A self-described “anarcho-capitalist”, Milei argues harsh austerity is needed to put Argentina back on the path to prosperity and that there is no time for a gradualist approach. However, he has promised any adjustments will almost entirely affect the state rather than the private sector.

    Argentinians, disillusioned with skyrocketing inflation and a 40 percent poverty rate, have proven surprisingly receptive to his vision.

    Still, Milei’s road map is likely to encounter fierce opposition from the left-leaning Peronist movement’s lawmakers and unions it controls, whose members have said they refuse to lose wages.

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  • Argentina’s Milei Devalues Peso by 54% in First Batch of Shock Measures

    Argentina’s Milei Devalues Peso by 54% in First Batch of Shock Measures

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    (Bloomberg) — Argentina devalued the peso by 54%, overhauled its crawling peg and announced massive spending cuts to eliminate its primary fiscal deficit next year as the first steps in President Javier Milei’s shock-therapy program.

    Most Read from Bloomberg

    The newly inaugurated administration weakened the official exchange rate to 800 pesos per dollar, Economy Minister Luis Caputo said in a televised address after the close of local markets on Tuesday. It was 366.5 per dollar before the address. The central bank will henceforth target a monthly devaluation of 2%.

    The moves were welcomed by the International Monetary Fund. The central bank is scheduled to announce new monetary measures on Wednesday.

    “There is no more money,” Caputo said repeatedly in the recorded video, adding that Argentina needs to solve its “addiction” to fiscal deficits.

    The government will slash spending equivalent to 2.9% of gross domestic product, in a radical fiscal adjustment, according to a senior economic official.

    Cuts to energy subsidies will save the 0.5% of GDP, while reductions to transport subsidies will save 0.2%, according to the government’s estimates. The administration also expects reductions in social security and pensions to save an additional 0.4% of GDP. The government plans to end indexation of pension payments, the official said.

    The finance ministry also expects tax revenue to grow by 2.2% next year.

    Other measures announced including halving the number of ministries, cutting transfers to provinces and suspending public works. At the same time, Argentina will boost certain social welfare programs, Caputo said.

    The IMF praised the new government’s “bold initial actions” shortly after Caputo’s announcement. “Their decisive implementation will help stabilize the economy and set the basis for more sustainable and private-sector led growth,” spokesperson Julie Kozack said in a statement.

    Dramatic Steps

    The dramatic first steps follow a somber inauguration speech on Sunday, when Milei warned that Argentines will have to endure months of pain while he works to pull the country from the economic crisis inherited from his predecessor. Inflation is already running at more than 140% annually, and prices are expected to jump between 20% and 40% in the months to come, the president said.

    The government had closed Argentina’s export registry Monday, a technical step that often foreshadows a currency devaluation or major policy change. The central bank also announced Monday the official currency market would operate with limited transactions — a restriction it said it will lift on Wednesday.

    The devaluation was long seen as inevitable. In the run-up to Milei’s inauguration, markets were signaling a currency drop of about 27% in the first week of the new government, while investment banks like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and local private advisory firms suggested it could weaken about 44%. Grocers had already increased prices and banks were offering sharply weaker retail exchange rates hours before the Tuesday announcement.

    Argentine authorities have for years slowed the peso’s decline in the official market through currency controls and import restrictions in an attempt to protect dwindling reserves. That hodgepodge of capital controls has spurred at least a dozen exchange rates, hampering business and restricting investment in South America’s second-largest economy. On the campaign trail, Milei pledged to scrap the currency altogether, replacing it with the US dollar.

    “We’re always worse off because our response has been to attack the consequences but not the problem,” Caputo said in his address. “What we’ve come to do is the opposite of what they always did, and that’s solve the root problem.”

    On Dec. 7, the prior administration had let the peso slip by about 5%, while simultaneously limiting the amount of greenbacks banks could hold in order to prevent them from hoarding dollars. The government had been burning reserves to keep the currency largely steady at 350 per dollar since the August primary vote, when Milei’s surprise showing sent markets into a tailspin. In parallel markets, that rate is about 1,000.

    Since being spooked by his emergence in the August primary, investors have changed tack on the firebrand libertarian, cheering on his first steps as president-elect — namely, his decision to pick Wall Street veterans for some of the main cabinet positions while distancing himself from more radical proposals including dollarizing the economy and shuttering the central bank. As he begins his four-year term, the rally will be put to the test.

    Caputo previously served as finance chief in the administration of Mauricio Macri, when he negotiated a $16.5 billion deal with holdout bondholders, allowing Argentina to return to international capital markets. Amid a currency run in 2018, Macri tapped him to take over at the central bank, but he only served for a few months before unexpectedly stepping down amid tensions with the IMF.

    Caputo has tapped longtime colleague Santiago Bausili, a Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase & Co veteran, to run Argentina’s central bank.

    —With assistance from Davison Santana and Patrick Gillespie.

    (Updates with details on new crawling peg from first paragraph)

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    ©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • 2024 Copa America draw analysis: Can anyone match Messi and Argentina?

    2024 Copa America draw analysis: Can anyone match Messi and Argentina?

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    For the second time in a decade, the prestigious Copa America tournament is coming to the U.S. The tournament, which is set to be staged this summer, could be the final act of superstar Lionel Messi in his country’s colors. If it is, he’ll have a chance to close out his international career by winning a third consecutive trophy with Argentina — and doing it in the city where he now resides. The Copa America final will be played in Miami on July 14.

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    Copa America 2024: Everything we know

    On Thursday, Messi and Argentina learned their path to another trophy — as did every other team hoping to knock off the defending Copa America champions. It didn’t happen without a bit of confusion during the final pot of the draw, when a third CONCACAF team was erroneously drawn into the U.S.’s group (only two teams from CONCACAF were allowed in any one group). That eventually led to teams swapping into different groups, but it was handled with enough confusion that even the official Copa America X account first sent out an incorrect graphic.

    With the draw now set, our expert panel of Felipe Cardenas, Paul Tenorio and Melanie Anzidei share their thoughts on the tournament ahead. 

    Who had the best draw? 

    Felipe Cardenas: After talking to a few journalists from Argentina, the consensus is that the defending Copa America champions received a favorable draw. Chile and Peru are both in poor form and the former recently fired their manager. If Canada qualifies, they’ll fall into Group A and at least make it interesting. In South America, Canada is still viewed as a darling side, a dangerous underdog with a physical brand of soccer. But Argentina should be very happy with their group. 

    Paul Tenorio: I find it hard to argue against the U.S. in this scenario. Yes, they pulled Uruguay in their group instead of one of the weaker options in the second pot, but their opponents from Pots 3 and 4 — Panama and Bolivia — are both teams that the U.S. will feel confident it can and should beat. It sets up to be the perfect challenge for the U.S. because it brings all different layers of pressure for a group that is considered to be the most talented men’s national team ever: living up to expectations, navigating games as a favorite and playing against an Uruguay team that currently sits second in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.


    USMNT has been handed a favourable draw (Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

    Cardenas: Within that context, Uruguay got a great draw. They’ll enter the tournament as true contenders. In South America, Bielsa’s side will be expected to waltz through the group.  

    Melanie Anzidei: I also would say Argentina, though having a supposedly easier route to the final may not always be in a team’s best interest. Argentina facing Chile in the group stage could be a blessing in disguise — even if Argentina loses, this may be the fire they need to get through the tournament, like how they used their loss to Saudi Arabia in the World Cup to propel them.

    Who had the worst draw? 

    Cardenas: Mexico. Group B is as close to a “group of death” as there is, and while that’s a bit of a stretch, there is no clear favorite between El Tri, Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica. Mexico will be a home team in every match, but as we well know, that could backfire. No one in South America wants to play Venezuela right now. They’re a confident team that’s dreaming big. Ecuador is one of the most athletic and physical sides on the continent. And Jamaica will take a seasoned team to the tournament looking to spoil the party. Mexico could be in trouble here.

    Tenorio: If we’re talking about the Pot 1 teams, I agree it’s probably Mexico that has the sneakiest tough group. Jamaica is better than people realize, and both Venezuela and Ecuador are playing well right now — they sit fourth and fifth in CONMEBOL qualifying right now. You have to feel a bit for Paraguay, though. Not only do they get drawn into a group with three CONMEBOL teams, but it’s Brazil and Colombia, one heavyweight and another team playing well in World Cup qualifying. I hate to say that Costa Rica and Honduras won’t scare anyone, but both could be tough outs, as well.

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    Everything we know about the CONCACAF/CONMEBOL partnership so far

    Anzidei: I feel like it’s a tough predicament for the United States, especially if you look ahead to who they could face after the group stage. They will have to face Uruguay, who just a few weeks ago topped the defending World Champions, Argentina. And if they move on, they will likely face Brazil, or even Colombia. It will make for some good soccer to watch, if they advance.


    Uruguay will be tough opponents (Fernando Gens/picture alliance via Getty Images)

    How do you feel about the USMNT’s path? How far do they need to go for it to be considered a successful tournament for them? 

    Tenorio: When the U.S. last played in a Copa America, the Centenario in 2016, it advanced to the semifinal. Things fell just about as perfectly from them as could have been imagined in that tournament. Despite losing its opening group game to Colombia, the U.S. won its next two games and saw Costa Rica upset Colombia in the group stage. That allowed the U.S. to emerge as group winners. In the other group, Brazil shockingly drew Ecuador, 0-0, and then lost to Peru in the group finale to drop to third. That set up a U.S.-Ecuador game in the knockout stage, which the U.S. won, 2-1. They fell to Lionel Messi and Argentina, 4-0, in the semifinal.

    The path this time is interesting. Once again they face a strong CONMEBOL opponent, and once again they have two other group games they will be expected to win. But in the knockout stage, Colombia and Brazil await as potential opponents — both will be better than the Ecuador squad from 2016. 

    Still, for it to be considered a successful tournament, I think the U.S. would have to get to a semifinal. Maybe they could avoid a backlash if they get to the knockout stage and lose to Brazil, but playing at home with heavy expectations means this team needs to do something special to have the tournament truly feel like a success. A semifinal is the absolute bare minimum standard of doing “something special.” If we’re going to truly call this a Golden Generation, it starts here.

    Cardenas: The expectation for the U.S. should be to make the final. Full stop. They’ll be on home soil, playing for sellout crowds. Now, playing well throughout the tournament, advancing to the knockout rounds and defeating at least one big-time South American team would be a successful tournament. But the only way for this generation of American players to make progress is for them to be judged on the same level as the top teams in this Copa America. 

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    Copa America 2024: 14 stadiums selected across 10 regions in United States

    Anzidei: They would have to make it to the semifinal, at least, to have a successful campaign. A final would be great, but feels unlikely. They’re up against too many heavyweights with metaphorically too much to lose in a Copa America. As much as they’re competing at home, this is the Copa America — and the United States may still be, in a way, an outsider in this competition.

    Can Messi and Argentina win it all again? 

    Cardenas: Argentina is the best team in the world. And that means they’re head and shoulders above every single national team in South America. So yes, Messi can win a second straight Copa America. The path to the final won’t be a gauntlet, but nothing that Argentina does comes easy. Every tournament they play is a dramatic, tear-filled journey toward a final. This Argentina team isn’t unbeatable, but they have Messi and they’ll be on a mission to make history again. 


    Argentina won Copa America in 2021 (Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

    Anzidei: It would be a remarkable feat that Messi and La Scaloneta will absolutely try to accomplish. That, though, will require unity on the pitch as well as behind the scenes — and, as Felipe reported this week, it doesn’t seem things are all sunshine and rainbows for manager Lionel Scaloni, whose future with this team is uncertain. The 2016 Copa America and Messi’s brief departure from the national team is a reminder of how terribly wrong things can go for this team when the Argentine federation’s house is not in order. 

    But this team plays best when they’re playing for someone, and at the World Cup in Qatar this team played for Messi. This time, I believe that person will be Angel Di Maria, whose game-winning goal against Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final has this squad indebted to him. The legendary winger has said he plans to retire after this tournament. What better send off as he retires, than another final won against Brazil? 

    Tenorio: They absolutely can win it all again. Before the draw, Argentina was the favorite in the tournament. After the draw? I think they’re stronger favorites. I agree strongly with Melanie’s point above that it’s going to be as much or more about mentality and emotion than anything else, but I also think Messi is motivated to make it three consecutive trophies — and to do it in his new home in Miami.

    Key dates

    • Group stage: June 20 – July 2
    • Quarterfinals: July 4 – 6
    • Semifinals: July 9 – 10
    • Final: July 14

    Which group matches are you most excited to see? 

    Anzidei: The United States versus Uruguay at Arrowhead on July 1 — because this will be the ultimate test for the USMNT. How will they fare against a Copa America favorite? Will they upset the CONMEBOL giant inside Arrowhead, one of the loudest stadiums in the world, days before July 4? And then there’s Argentina versus Chile at MetLife on June 25, because this is a poetic rematch between two Copa America rivals. The last time these two teams played here, Messi infamously quit the national team after falling to Chile for a second year in a row. This match could give Messi a storybook ending to close one of the least favorite chapters of his career. 

    Tenorio: I agree with both games above, but for me it’s the U.S.-Uruguay game. After covering the World Cup in Qatar, there is just something special about those big games. U.S.-England had such a great buzz, and then there was the do-or-die feeling around the U.S.-Iran game. Considering the U.S. plays Uruguay in its group finale, it could have BOTH factors entering that matchup: a top opponent and test, as well as the pressure of needing a result. Also, I know this is cheating because the question is about group games, but I am salivating over a possible Argentina-Mexico knockout game in Houston/Dallas if Argentina wins the group and Mexico finishes second or vice versa.


    Brazil have been misfiring of late (Marco Galvão/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

    Cardenas: Chile and Peru are struggling right now, but they do not like each other, at all. El Clásico del Pacífico is always a battle and this version will hopefully live up to that. Meanwhile, Brazil versus Colombia is becoming a fun rivalry in South America. The two sides have a lot of respect for each other and have similar styles of play. Colombia recently defeated Brazil in a World Cup qualifier for the first time ever. That game could decide the winner of Group D. Can’t wait.

    Which players do you expect to stand out (besides Messi)? 

    Tenorio: Darwin Núñez. The forward has scored five goals in six World Cup qualifiers under Marcelo Bielsa. He’s absolutely flying. Uruguay will come into this tournament with real belief that they can win it, and it’s a group where Núñez should be able to thrive. 

    Cardenas: This could be a really long list. Argentina’s Julian Alvarez, Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. There are a lot of talented players in this tournament.

    Tenorio: But you’re going with a Colombian, aren’t you?

    Cardenas: Of course! Liverpool’s Luis Diaz is a top-20 best player in the world right now. He can be unplayable on his best days. He’ll be Colombia’s main danger man and one of the tournament’s marquee players.

    Anzidei: I was also going to say Núñez, after his goal against Argentina in World Cup qualifying. There’s something about this Uruguayan team. You can argue they’re all worth keeping a close eye on, with some potential surprises.

    What are your predictions for semifinalists and champion? 

    Tenorio: Man, this is tough. Every tournament has upsets in the group and knockout stage. But it’s tough to bet against the favorites here. I’m sitting next to Felipe here in Miami trying to convince him Colombia can win the group, but he’s got me nervous for that upset pick. So I’ll say Brazil tops Group D and faces the U.S. and wins that game, while Uruguay tops Colombia. I have Argentina getting through to the semifinals along with Mexico, riding the home field advantage. And then it’s Argentina-Brazil in an epic final in Miami, with Messi and Di Maria winning one more together. 

    Yes, I’m basically going chalk. What a wimp.

    Cardenas: Yes, I’m very nervous about Colombia’s chances. Here’s the thing about every Copa America: they’re unpredictable, they’re messy and the top sides aren’t always guaranteed a spot in the final four. I think this edition of the tournament will be fairly straightforward, though. 

    My semifinalists: Argentina-Mexico; Uruguay-United States. Where’s Brazil? If the U.S. is going to get a signature win under Berhalter, beating a struggling Brazil side could be that moment. 

    Champion: Uruguay — Bielsa becomes a legend in a third South American country after establishing himself in Argentina and becoming an icon in Chile. 

    Anzidei: I will never say out loud that Argentina will win it all, but that seems the obvious answer. I have a feeling either Uruguay or Brazil could see this through all the way, too. But like you said, Felipe, it’s really anyone’s tournament. Did we really expect Chile to win two in a row when they did?

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    Complete Copa America schedule

    (Photo: Gustavo Pagano/Getty Images)

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  • Javier Milei to be sworn in as Argentina’s president

    Javier Milei to be sworn in as Argentina’s president

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    Javier Milei to be sworn in as Argentina’s president – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    Former Argentinian TV personality Javier Milei will be sworn in as Argentina’s new president Sunday. He has promised to eliminate government agencies, favors outlawing abortion and is a self-described anarcho-capitalist. He also calls global warming a “socialist lie.” Cristian Benavides has more.

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  • Trump or Milei? Match the quote to the firebrand leader and see if you’re right

    Trump or Milei? Match the quote to the firebrand leader and see if you’re right

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    FIRST it was maverick world leader Donald Trump posting bizarre and deluded tweets through his four-year US presidency.

    Now he has a rival – Argentina’s new right-wing leader Javier Milei, who has already created a stir with revelations of tantric sex and threesomes, as well as speaking to his dead dog.

    2

    Argentina has just elected right-wing leader Javier Milei, who wields chainsaws at ralliesCredit: AP
    The controversial leader is not unlike Donald Trump - so can you guess which president said what?

    2

    The controversial leader is not unlike Donald Trump – so can you guess which president said what?Credit: Reuters

    Trump and Milei admire each other and are not afraid to speak their minds, but how alike are they?

    Can you work out which of them was responsible for which crazy quote? Try Samantha Yule’s quiz.

    Answers below.

    1. “Can you believe I’m a politician? I can’t even.”

    2. “The sale of human organs is merchandise.”

    3. “For me the state is an enemy, as are the politicians who live off it.”

    4. “A murderer is a murderer. A thief is a thief. And that’s what you call them. They’re an organised crime group, the biggest in the world, called ‘the state’. Why should I treat them any other way?”

    5. “I tested positively toward negative, right? So no. I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative. But that’s a way of saying it. Positively toward the negative.”

    6. “Why can’t we use nuclear weapons?”

    7. “If I had to choose between the state and the Mafia, I would choose the Mafia because the Mafia has codes, the Mafia adapts, the Mafia doesn’t lie. And above all, the Mafia competes.”

    8. “I like kids. I mean, I won’t do anything to take care of them. I’ll supply funds and she’ll take care of the kids. It’s not like I’m gonna be walking the kids down Central Park.”

    9. “I think apologising’s a great thing, but you have to be wrong. I will absolutely apologise, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I’m ever wrong.”

    10. “When you see the other side chopping off heads, waterboarding doesn’t sound very severe.”

    11. “Each man has his own dynamic. In my case, I ejaculate every three months.”

    12. “Mickey Mouse is the aspiration of every politician because he is a disgusting rodent whom everybody loves.”

    13. “I will not be apologising for having a penis. I don’t have to feel ashamed of being a man.”

    14. “I have a great relationship with the blacks. I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.”

    15. “On promising to stop government benefits as they are “based on that atrocity that says that where there is a need, a right is born, its maximum expression being that aberration called social justice”.

    16. “To be blunt, people would vote for me. They just would. Why? Maybe because I’m so good looking.”

    17. “Marriage is a horrible institution, first because it is a contract for life. I don’t want marriage, I don’t want regulations.

    “With marriage, the relationship worsens because, since breaking that contract is costly, what appears, it’s called the moral hazard, so you take more risks. Men get fat, women take less care of themselves, and a whole series of deteriorations occur . . . ”

    18. “Sorry, losers and haters, but my IQ is one of the highest, and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault.”

    19. Climate change is a “socialist lie”.

    20. “It’s really cold, they’re calling it a major freeze, weeks ahead of normal. Man, we could use a big fat dose of global warming.”

    Answers

    1. Trump

    2. Milei

    3. Milei

    4. Milei

    5. Trump

    6. Trump

    7. Milei

    8. Trump

    9. Trump

    10. Trump

    11. Milei

    12. Milei

    13. Milei

    14. Trump

    15. Milei

    16. Trump

    17. Milei

    18. Trump

    19. Milei

    20. Trump

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    Michael Shersby

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  • Cry For Argentina (Among Other Countries)

    Cry For Argentina (Among Other Countries)

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    As the world continues to turn evermore in an extreme right-leaning direction, it can be no real surprise (especially not to the highly jaded ones) that Argentina’s latest president is none other than Javier Milei a.k.a. “El Loco.” And yes, he seems to be someone who acts the way Donald Trump truly wanted to while still kind of “holding back” (believe it or not). Because, at the bare minimum, at least Trump never dressed up in a superhero costume reminiscent of Nacho Libre while calling this alter ego “General Ancap.” Though he probably wanted to do something similar (with his rightful alter ego name being something like General Shithead or General Cheeto). Indeed, Trump’s “congratulations” for Milei appear as much a sign of his own hope for more dystopia during the 2024 election as they do “genuine happiness” over the fact that unhinged men keep fortifying patriarchy’s hold over the political arena, ergo what goes on in the world. 

    With his own demagoguery, Milei rose to political prominence in much the same way that Trump did: through a lot of publicly-displayed buffoonery. Specifically, he was an economic (therefore, political) pundit that made numerous TV appearances, sometimes in the guise of the aforementioned alter ego. Usually, so that he might sing about Argentina’s economic crisis in that getup. His career as an “economist” for various privately-funded companies, including Corporación América, as well as a think tank called Fundación Acordar, only added to the insulated reverence he kept building over the years. Having his own radio show, Demoliendo mitos (a.k.a. Demolishing Myths—ha! As if!) didn’t hurt his steady building of a following either. One that, like the Americans who gravitated toward Trump, simply wanted to see a radical change—any radical change—in their government. One that, in Argentina, has been dominated by Peronism since the time of Perón.

    In fact, Milei’s victory over erstwhile current president Sergio Massa marks the first time since the country returned to a “democracy” (back in 1983) that such a dominant far-right presence has managed to take hold of the government. Because, as is often the case, the right tends to triumph in elections when the left is blamed for economic crises and the correlative rising poverty and crime rates. Both of which Argentina is suffering from big time, what with the poverty rate hovering at over forty percent. Milei, a self-declared libertarian, clearly saw this as an opportunity to swoop in and act as that “superhero” he mimicked on TV. The kind who wields chainsaws in public while on the campaign trail to indicate his “seriousness” about wanting to make “dramatic cuts” in order to “stabilize” the economy and curb the out-of-control inflation problem that has been plaguing the country. 

    As Milei put it, “There is no room for gradualism. There is no room for half measures.” The Netherlands’ latest far-right leader, Geert Wilders, would likely agree. Wilders even wears a red tie, a signature of Donald Trump (apart from the red, shudder-inducing “Make America Great Again” hat). As leader of the ironically-titled Party For Freedom, much of Wilders hardline politics is rooted in “nativist,” anti-immigration views—with an especial emphasis on being distinctly anti-Islam (his vocal sentiments have, indeed, made him a target for many Islamic extremist death threats). While his economic policies are less in the spotlight than Milei’s, Dutch philosopher Rob Riemen might as well be talking about both men when, in 2010, he cited Wilders and his party as “the prototype of contemporary fascism” in that he has finagled “the politicization of the resentment of the man in the crowd” (this description also easily applying to Trump’s political rise as a demagogue). 

    Throughout the globe, this alarming turn of phrase has continued to gain traction in terms of the far-right gradually “collecting” power and entering increasingly into mainstream government after lying in wait to pounce on the “right moment” (no pun intended) via taking advantage of public dissatisfaction with things that ultimately have nothing to do with conservative “soapbox solutions.” In Europe especially, the far-right continues to gain control of governments at the highest level. This includes Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Petteri Orpo in Finland and Viktor Orbán in Hungary. Another alarming “tidbit” of late is that if French presidential elections were held today, polling wisdom suggests far-right extremist Marine Le Pen (who has already run for the role of French president three times) would finally win. 

    All across the world, not just in Europe and South America (see also: ​​the recent power held by Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and Chile’s José Antonio Kast), a fascist, far-right darkness is taking hold. One spurred by the age-old idea that conservative parties are somehow “miracle workers” at resuscitating the economy (of course, the Tories in Britain are the most glaring present evidence to the contrary). Milei simply happens to be among the freshest, most overt examples of how, when people turn to the right for “fiscal salvation” (which, by the way, never actually comes), they, without fail, seem to forget, every time, about the even higher price one must pay in the sacrifice of human rights so as to achieve that so-called salvation. 

    In Argentina’s case, toppling the Peronism that has dominated the country’s politics since the time after Juan Perón’s first “presidency” (read: a presidency that employed many dictatorial tactics) is yet another sign of how extreme things have become. With voters turning to “shock politics” in a bid to seek a change that can never truly come unless the system of capitalism is dismantled entirely. And no, that does not automatically mean turning to socialism (that age-old conservative fear), but rather, a reassessment entirely of humanity’s priorities. 

    Naturally, the likelihood of that happening is nil, with Žižek’s adage, “It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism” automatically coming to mind amid increasingly absurd voter “preferences” relating, in the end, to how they can better secure their financial well-being instead of their emotional and spiritual one. In short, putting a more colorful Band-Aid (represented by the superhero costume-wearing politician) on a fatal wound that needs a different cure entirely. 

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    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Is Javier Milei a ‘doctrinaire Hayekian’ and a secret ‘Reason’ science project?

    Is Javier Milei a ‘doctrinaire Hayekian’ and a secret ‘Reason’ science project?

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    With critics like Sohrab Ahmari, the sourpuss cofounder of the conservative social democrat* journal Compact, Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, is looking better and better even before doing a damn thing.

    Writing in The New Statesman, Ahmari bemoans “Maga’s foolish embrace” of Milei, whom too many are mistaking for a real populist—you know, the sort of strongman who embodies the volk, punishes certain businessmen, rewards certain labor unions, appeals to tradition and hierarchy, and generally bosses people around. Indeed, even Donald Trump—whom Ahmari slags for doing “precious little to implement a more solidaristic agenda”—congratulated Milei.

    Milei, clucks Ahmari, “rejects nearly everything ‘Maga’ populists in the United States, and analogue movements across the developed world, claim to stand for…. [He] is a doctrinaire Hayekian seemingly grown in a secret laboratory funded by the Koch brothers, with the editorial staff of Reason, the extremist libertarian magazine based in Washington, serving as the scientists.”

    That’s flattering, really. Milei’s perfidious agenda includes such horribles as reducing tariffs in a country that is battling 140 percent annual inflation and has seen poverty climb from 5 percent a decade ago to over 40 percent. Milei—who does indeed quote libertarian economists such as Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, and Murray Rothbard—also wants to “dollarize” the economy as a way of hemming in an incompetent central bank and spendthrift government. This is bad, Ahmari says, because it “would leave the country without its own central bank and at the mercy of the US Federal Reserve System.” Maybe, but such a complaint simply ignores the existing reality, which is beyond untenable.

    Ahmari is aghast that Milei, who was called a “Trump-like radical” by The Washington Post, has said he supports markets for organs (which are always in short supply) and the use of cryptocurrencies that escape the state’s machinations. Despite being a practicing Catholic, Milei has had sharp words for the Pope, Ahmari reminds us, calling Francis, a “son of a bitch preaching communism” and “the representative of evil on Earth.” Though a surrogate spoke of severing ties with the Vatican, Milei has, says the National Catholic Reporter, walked back such comments after victory.

    Whether Milei’s agenda has any chance of being implemented, much less finding any success, is far from clear. As Arturo C. Porzecanski has written, his party holds just 37 seats in the House (out of 257) and a mere eight out of 72 in the Senate. Assuming he is able to take a figurative chainsaw to various agencies, it is uncertain whether his policies will yield quick and decisive results.

    But Milei represents a break from Argentina’s past, which for a century has been ruled by a series of left-wing and right-wing authoritarians who crush opposition and initiative in the name of the people they abuse.

    That’s a start, in and of itself. There are reasons to be worried about Milei, not least of which is his predilection to downplaying past governmental violence, but to the extent that he confounds proponents of “real” populism, he might just be exactly what his country needs.

    CORRECTION: The original sub-headline of this article referred to the Sohrab Ahmari as a “national conservative” and the first line identified Compact as a national conservative publication. He wrote me to say “I’ve repeatedly said I’m not a ‘national conservative.’ Nowhere in COMPACT’s ‘About Us’ page or in our pages generally will you find celebration of national conservatism. And I’ve personally written numerous pieces on why I’m not a nationalist.” He suggested the two descriptor phrases marked by asterisks, noting,”Any of those descriptors would still be odious among your readers, but they’d be more accurate than natcon.“

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    Nick Gillespie

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  • Javier Milei, self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” wins Argentina’s presidential election

    Javier Milei, self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” wins Argentina’s presidential election

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    Javier Milei, self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” wins Argentina’s presidential election – CBS News


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    Argentina’s far-right candidate Javier Milei claimed victory in the country’s presidential election with a promise to sharply cut government spending to tackle the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe has more.

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  • Far Right Libertarian Javier Milei’s Election Victory Questions the Future of Argentine Filmmaking   

    Far Right Libertarian Javier Milei’s Election Victory Questions the Future of Argentine Filmmaking   

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    As U.S. and European sales agents and distributors gather in Buenos Aires next week for Ventana Sur, there will be a very large elephant in the room: the stunning victory in Argentina’s presidential election Sunday of far right Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist.”

    Milei won 55.8% of the vote promising to do away with inflation, running at over 140%, as part of “drastic changes” which include scrapping Argentina’s central bank, dollarizing the economy and slashing public spending by 15% of GDP. 

    On the campaign trail, he has promised to abolish Argentina’s Ministry of Culture and national film-TV agency INCAA. 

    Currently, Argentina also holds the presidency of Ibermedia, the pan-regional fund for Latin America, Spain and Portugal, whose moneys are vital for art-house co-productions.

    INCAA also co-organizes Ventana Sur itself with Cannes Film Festival and Market.

    A left-leaning Argentine film-TV industry, whether Peronist or not, will take time to digest Milei’s victory. Many dismisssed its possibilty out of hand. It is imposible to think of relations being less than fractious between the industry and a new government whose Milei running mate, Victoria Villaruel, has been a longtime defender of Argentina’s 1987-83 military dictatorship and Milei himself has dismissed climate change as “a socialist hoax.” 

    So many variables are in play, however, that it is hard to second-guess a full impact. For distribution of movies in Argentina, it may not change matters that much. 

    “If Milei solves inflation – which I hope very much he does for the sake of the Argentine people though I am doubtful if he can – box office attendance may surge,” said Antonio Saura, head of Latido Films. 

    Currently, he recognized, Latido sells “very little” to Argentina. “Distribution in the country has been decimated by COVID-19. Recovery has been mostly for event movies:  the only Argentinean movie that has performed very well recently is ‘Argentina, 1985.’ A change of government may not affect that,” he added.

    Culled from cinema admissions and TV advertising, both down, INCAA funding has already plunged since the pandemic. Optimists may point out that INCAA has a certain autonomy, and cannot be removed so easily. How it would function under Milei is another matter.  

    But Milei’s victory looks to signal the closure of an era, at least for four years. 

    “Today is the end of the model of an omnipresent state that impoverishes Argentina,” Milei promised supporters Sunday. 

    The challenge for Argentine cinema is that it has been that very state support, channeled via INCAA, which laid the foundations for a recovery of the Argentine cinema in the 2000s.

    Compounded with marketing and co-production aid at commercial network Telefe, it helps explain a string of upscale bold Argentine crossover blockbuster from Juan José Campanella’s “The Secret of Their Eyes” (2009) and “Underdogs” (2013) to Wild Tales (2015) and “The Clan” as well as bold challenges to Argentina nationalism and audience expectation such as Lisandro Alonso’s 2014 Cannes hit “Jauja,” starring Viggo Mortensen.

    Given contracting overseas sales and state funding, Argentina’s audiovisual industry is already reorganizing. That is based on at least three axes: Streaming platform titles, often TV series based ever more on weighty IP, led by Netflix adaptation of legendary Argentine sci-fi graphic novel “El Eternauta,” from K&S; low or micro-budget arthouse and docu production; and grand production alliances such as the eight-member consortium, led by Argentina’s Zeppelin Studio, which is backing Lucía Puenzo’s upcoming gangster epic “The Gunwoman (Pepita’s Legend).”

    Driven by world change in film-TV business models, such initiatives are unlikely to stop under Milei.

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    John Hopewell

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  • Argentina Welcomes First Pro-Bitcoin President, BTC Price Surges Above $37,000

    Argentina Welcomes First Pro-Bitcoin President, BTC Price Surges Above $37,000

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    In a historical moment for both the nation and the crypto community, Argentina has ushered in a new era by welcoming its first-ever pro-Bitcoin President. 

    Argentina Elects Pro Bitcoin President

    On November 19, Argentina released the results of its presidential election. Reports of the election results reveal that right-wing libertarian and Bitcoin advocate, Javier Milei won almost 56% out of 90% of votes counted. While his rival candidate, Minister Sergio Massa garnered 44% of the votes. 

    The momentous victory positions Milei as the face of a new era in Argentina, marked by his stated commitment to solving inflationary problems in the country by abolishing the country’s Central Bank and using digital currencies like Bitcoin. 

    In a public victory speech to his supporters in Buenos Aires, Milei declared that the transformative process of Argentina had just begun and the country was on its way to economic recovery. He promised to work with all the nations to help develop Argentina and make it a better country. 

    “Today begins the reconstruction of Argentina. Today begins the end of Argentina’s decline. The model of decadence has come to an end. There is no way back,” Milei stated. 

    He further added that “Argentina will return to its place in the world that it should never have lost. We are going to work shoulder-to-shoulder with all nations of the free world, to help build a better world.”

    Former President of the United States, Donald Trump commended Milei on securing victory in the Argentinian Presidential election. He expressed his pride in Milei’s incredible feat and stated his anticipation for Milei’s efforts in restoring Argentina. 

    “Congratulations to Javier Milei on a great race for President of Argentina. The whole world was watching! I am very proud of you. You will turn your Country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again,” Trump stated. 

    BTC Price Surges As Argentina Embraces New Era Of Crypto

    Following the news of Javier Milei’s victory in Argentina’s Presidential elections, Bitcoin price has been on an upward trend, trading above the $37,000 mark. The price of the cryptocurrency at the time of writing is $37,199 according to CoinMarketCap. 

    One of Milei’s primary policy plans as Argentina’s President is to discontinue the use of the Argentinian peso and adopt the United States Dollar as the country’s main currency. He has also mulled over the introduction of Bitcoin as a potential legal tender and declared possibilities of launching a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in Argentina. 

    While the proposals aim to significantly reduce the long-lasting inflationary crisis in the Argentinian economy, the involvement of Bitcoin could potentially herald a new wave of economic growth for the crypto industry.

    BTC recovers following Milei's win | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

    Featured image from Cryptopolitan, chart from Tradingview.com

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    Scott Matherson

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  • Argentina’s President-Elect Seeks Counsel From His Cloned Dogs

    Argentina’s President-Elect Seeks Counsel From His Cloned Dogs

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    A decisive majority of Argentinian voters opted for trying something new when they elected Javier Milei to be the country’s next president.

    Amid soaring inflation and rising poverty, Milei, a right-wing populist who promised a radical shakeup of the government, defeated incumbent economy minister Sergio Massa in the run-off vote on Sunday with more than 55% of votes, the highest percentage a presidential candidate has received since Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983.

    The 53-year-old lawmaker who has self-identified as a libertarian and “anarcho-capitalist” campaigned on slashing public spending, eliminating the central bank, and switching the nation’s currency from the Argentinian peso to the U.S. dollar, among other drastic economic measures. He also rallied against sex education in schools, pledged to curb abortion access, and rejected climate science as a socialist conspiracy.

    But more than any of his policy proposals or platform details, Milei primarily came to be known throughout the turbulent election season as an eccentric. A former rock musician who once jammed in a Rolling Stones tribute band, the wild-haired Milei rose to prominence as a prolific economist and TV and radio commentator. On the campaign trail, he wielded a chainsaw on stage and smashed a piñata on air to symbolize his plans. He has made bold remarks ranging from calling Pope Francis a “filthy leftist” to hailing American gangster Al Capone as a “hero.”

    Milei’s critics have often pointed to his outlandish behavior and bizarre pronouncements to argue his incompetency to rule—Argentinian journalist Juan Luis González’s unauthorized biography about Milei is entitled El Loco (The Madman)—but political observers say Milei’s election represents less a show of support for him and more an outcry of frustration against the status quo. Local political consultant Lucas Romero told the Associated Press: “This is a triumph that is less due to Milei and his peculiarities and particularities and more to the demand for change.”

    Still, perhaps nothing has raised more questions about the President-elect’s mental acuity and fitness to lead than the widely-reported (and ridiculed) matter of whom he turns to for advice: Conan, Murray, Milton, Robert and Lucas. They were the first people he thanked when he finished first in the country’s presidential primaries in August—except they’re not really people.

    “Who else?” he said. “My four-legged children,” referring to his five dogs whom he has called “the best strategists.”

    It all started when Milei adopted an English mastiff named Conan, a reference to the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, in 2004. González, the Argentinian journalist and unofficial Milei biographer, wrote in the Buenos Aires Times that the pet became, in Milei’s words, his “true and greatest love” and that Milei came to see Conan as “literally his son.” Milei, who is unmarried and childless, has credited the 200-pound dog with being his closest friend and confidante and sticking by his side through difficult and lonely times.

    When Conan died in 2017, Milei reportedly visited a medium to communicate with his late beloved pet. It was in that telepathic conversation, Milei has said, that Conan gave him the mission to become president of Argentina. According to Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper, Milei believes that he and Conan first met in a previous life more than 2,000 years ago as a gladiator and lion in the Roman Colosseum and that the pair did not fight because they were destined to join forces in the future, and he believes his presidential campaign was that predestined moment.

    In 2018, Milei went on to pay about $50,000, according to Reuters and the New York Times, to U.S. company PerPETuate to clone Conan using his DNA, something Milei had reportedly been planning to do for some time. The procedure resulted in five puppies, whom Milei named after the original Conan and the economists Murray Rothbard, Milton Friedman, and Robert Lucas. Milei regularly refers to the current clone Conan as his son—and doesn’t distinguish him from the original Conan—and the other four dogs as his “grandchildren.”

    González and other Argentine news outlets have reported that Milei seeks counsel from his dogs on matters of his campaign, policy, and more. In an August interview with Spanish newspaper 20minutos, González said that Milei “is convinced that the dogs advise him in different areas: one in politics, another in economics, another gives him general advice.” González added that he is worried about such an “unstable leader” in an already “unstable” Argentina: “This man who would command the fate of the country wakes up each day, does medium sessions with the dogs, and then makes a decree based on that. It’s very shocking.”

    When asked by The Economist in September about the reports of his unconventional canine cabinet, Milei didn’t deny it, responding with seeming pride: “What is it they say, that my dogs determine my strategies, yes? That they are like a strategic committee? They are the best strategic committee in the world. Tell me: when has an outsider-outsider achieved what we achieved in two years? If so, they are the best political analysts in the world.”

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    Chad de Guzman

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  • Right-wing populist Javier Milei wins Argentina’s presidency amid discontent over economy

    Right-wing populist Javier Milei wins Argentina’s presidency amid discontent over economy

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    Right-wing populist Javier Milei will become the next president of Argentina after promising a dramatic shake-up to the state in a fiercely polarized election campaign held amid deep discontent over soaring inflation and rising poverty.

    With 97.6% of votes tallied in Sunday’s presidential runoff vote, Milei had 55.8% and Economy Minister Sergio Massa 44.2%, according to Argentina’s electoral authority. Presuming that margin holds, it would be wider than predicted by all polls and the widest since Argentina’s return of democracy in 1983.

    In the streets of Buenos Aires, drivers honked their horns and many took to the streets to celebrate in several neighborhoods. Outside Milei’s party headquarters, a hotel in downtown Buenos Aires, supporters were euphoric.

    Massa, of the ruling Peronist party, conceded defeat and congratulated Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist who has drawn frequent comparisons to former President Donald Trump.

    “Congratulations to Javier Milei on a great race for President of Argentina,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The whole world was watching! I am very proud of you. You will turn your Country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!”

    ARGENTINA-ELECTION-RUNOFF-RESULTS-MILEI
    Javier Milei celebrates with supporters in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2023.

    LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images


    “Argentines chose another path,” Massa said in his speech. “Starting tomorrow … guaranteeing the political, social and economic functions is the responsibility of the new president. I hope he does.”

    With a Milei victory, the country will swing to the right and empower a freshman lawmaker who got his start as a television talking head blasting what he called the “political caste.”

    Inflation has soared above 140% and poverty has worsened while Massa has held his post. Milei has proposed to slash the size of the state and rein in inflation, while the government minister he was running against warned people about the negative impacts of such policies. The election forced many to decide which of the two they considered to be the least bad choice.

    “This is a triumph that is less due to Milei and his peculiarities and particularities and more to the demand for change,” said Lucas Romero, the head of Synopsis, a local political consulting firm. “What is being expressed at the polls is the weariness, the fatigue, the protest vote of the majority of Argentines.”

    Massa’s campaign cautioned Argentines that his libertarian opponent’s plan to eliminate key ministries and otherwise sharply curtail the state would threaten public services, including health and education, and welfare programs many rely on. Massa also drew attention to his opponent’s often aggressive rhetoric and openly questioned his mental acuity; ahead of the first round, Milei sometimes carried a revving chainsaw at rallies.

    “There were lot of voters that weren’t convinced to vote Milei, who would vote no or blank. But come the day of the vote, they voted for Milei because they’re all pissed off,” Andrei Roman, CEO of Brazil-based pollster Atlas Intel, said by phone. “Everyone talked about the fear of Milei winning. I think this was a fear of Massa winning and economy continuing the way it is, inflation and all that.”

    Milei accused Massa and his allies of running a “campaign of fear” and he walked back some of his most controversial proposals, such as loosening gun control. In his final campaign ad, Milei looks at the camera and assures voters he has no plans to privatize education or health care.

    Supporters of Javier Milei celebrate the results of the presidential election runoff outside the party headquarters in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2023.
    Supporters of Javier Milei celebrate the results of the presidential election runoff outside the party headquarters in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2023.

    EMILIANO LASALVIA/AFP via Getty Images


    Milei’s screeds resonated widely with Argentines angered by their struggle to make ends meet, particularly young men.

    “Money covers less and less each day. I’m a qualified individual, and my salary isn’t enough for anything,” Esteban Medina, a 26-year-old physical therapist from Ezeiza, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a Milei rally earlier this week.

    Another of Milei’s supporters is María Gabriela Gaviola, a 63-year-old entrepreneur doing everything she can to avoid shuttering her company, which manufactures veterinary products, amid surging prices for materials. And the government hasn’t helped, including Massa who has held his ministerial post for over a year.

    “The productive sector of this country isn’t considered. How long can a country that doesn’t produce be OK?” said Gaviola, who has taken on two side jobs to keep her company afloat. “Truth is, I don’t know Milei. I’ve heard him a bit. I don’t know him, but the one who I already know doesn’t help me. I prefer to try something new.”

    Most pre-election polls, which have been notoriously wrong at every step of this year’s campaign, showed a statistical tie between the two candidates or Milei slightly ahead.

    Underscoring the bitter division this campaign has brought to the fore, Milei received both jeers and cheers on Friday night at the legendary Colón Theater in Buenos Aires.

    The acrimony was also evident Sunday when Milei’s running mate, Victoria Villaruel, went to vote and was met by protesters angry at her claims that the number of victims from Argentina’s bloody 1976-1983 military dictatorship is far below what human rights organizations have long claimed, among other controversial positions.

    The vote took place amid Milei’s allegations of possible electoral fraud, reminiscent of those from Trump and former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Without providing evidence, Milei claimed that the first round of the presidential election was plagued by irregularities that affected the result. Experts say such irregularities cannot swing an election, and that his assertions were partly aimed at firing up his base and motivating his supporters to become monitors of voting stations.

    “Hope shines again in South America,” Bolsonaro wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “May these good winds reach the United States and Brazil so honesty, progress and liberty return to us all.”

    Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Milei on social media, writing, “Democracy is the voice of the people, and it must always be respected. My congratulations to Argentine institutions for conducting the electoral process and to the Argentine people who participated in the electoral day in an orderly and peaceful manner. I wish the new government good luck and success.”

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