Trump praises Argentina's President Milei at gala
US President-elect Donald Trump praised Argentine President Javier Milei for the job he’s done in his home country, calling on Milei to “make Argentina great again”.
Trump was speaking at a gala at his Mar-a-Lago Florida retreat, which was attended by the Argentine president who delivered a speech before Trump’s comments.
“I am exhilarated to be able to share with the new United States administration the same level of freedom, and I’m convinced that together, we will restore it to the place it deserves,” Milei said at a post-election victory celebration at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Argentina’s country risk index plunged to its lowest level since July 2019 as markets showed confidence in its public debt performance, fiscal surplus, inflation curbs and government dollar buybacks under the libertarian Milei. The index has been trending downwards since he took office in December 2023.
“Today, the winds of freedom are blowing much stronger,” he added, speaking in Spanish at the America First Policy Institute event.
Milei, a libertarian economist who was elected last November, also warned of the “barbarism” of the “woke virus”, despotism and terror and urged for alliances that would protect “the Western legacy.”
Milei and Trump met backstage earlier this year at a Conservative Political Action Conference event where Milei also spoke.
The right-wing president also thanked Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who was in the audience, for his work promoting free speech.
Trump later acknowledged Milei in his remarks.
“Your speech was beautiful, but the job you’ve done is incredible,” Trump said. “Make Argentina great again. You know, he’s a MAGA person. And you know, he’s doing that.”
The fall in Argentina's country risk, a measure of investment exposure, is crucial to the country's access to international credit. This comes as the country prepares to renegotiate a massive $44-billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund, due in December.
