Milei meets Trump: “Let’s make Argentina great again” Ukrainian hopes now rest on these three weapons systems

Argentina’s ultra-liberal head of state, Javier Milei, met former US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a meeting of US conservatives in Washington. “Let’s make Argentina great again,” Trump said backstage at the CPAC conference on Saturday, referencing his political motto and hugging Milei. “Long live freedom, dammit,” Milei responded with his own campaign slogan.

Trump is seeking another term in the United States during November’s presidential election. On Saturday he won the Republican primary in the state of South Carolina, further expanding his lead over his internal party rivals. “You were a great president, I hope you will be again,” Milei told Trump. The ex-president replied: “Thank you, I promise.”

In his speech at the CPAC conference, Milei spoke out against government intervention in the economy and against abortion rights. “There is no place for socialism,” he said. The economist received repeated applause for his rather dry lecture during the meeting of right-wing conservatives in the grand ballroom of a conference hotel in Washington.

Since taking office in December, Milei has been trying to open up Argentina’s previously heavily regulated economy. However, he does not have a majority in Congress; he recently clashed with several governors of the South American country in a dispute over money.

Argentina is in a serious economic crisis. The inflation rate is over 250 percent and about 40 percent of people in the once wealthy country live below the poverty line. South America’s second-largest economy suffers from a bloated state apparatus, low industrial productivity and a large shadow economy that deprives the state of much tax revenue. The national currency, the peso, continues to lose value against the US dollar and the mountain of debt continues to grow. (sda/dpa)