Argentinian President Javier Milei: The winds of change

 

Argentina: The Winds of Change

President Javier Milei finds himself talking about the "Winds of Change" and winds there are many when it comes to the South Atlantic on the way to Antarctica.

What did not happen in 1982 under a Military Junta could happen under a democratically elected President. Britain was not in the best position in 1982, but Britain is in a much worse position in 2026 and we still have not seen the numbers that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, former Secretary for Defense John Healey, is going to provide. It will not be nice. Mr Healey might have even less monies for Defense than the monies he was offered by Rachel Reeves and the reason he resigned his post as Secretary for Defense. What is essential or not essential in terms of training is a debatable subject. Argentina just announced that it will be new military installations that will give Argentina better access to Falkland Islands, and Falkland Islands are not the only islands under British control in the South Atlantic. In 1982, Britain was not caught up with a conflict in Europe for which it is not well prepared. President Trump has been found laughing about British military power and he might not offer Britain any support should there be a conflict, once again, in the South Atlantic.

I would say that for Britain things are much worse than they ever were in 1982. Equipment that Britain had and that made the difference in a conflict that happened more than 40 years ago has not been updated nor replaced.

Argentina does not need military forces on mainland Argentina for internal puposes or as a precaution because of strained relationships with Chile at the time when the invasion happened. President Allende did support Margaret Thatcher and Chilean support in 1982 was for Britain a sine qua non. President Kast, shares President Milei´s ideology and so that President Trump that is visibly involved in developing American influence in Latin America.

So things have changed exponentially and not in a favourable way for Britain.

The USA, and not just those who support President Trump, have good reasons to support Argentina. As members of the American Administration stated very openly, Europe is no longer a priority. China is. So countries that are closer to the USA, where China has been playing an ever greater role, are also a priority. With Venezuela "under control", Panama controls the passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, which is a crossing of fundamental strategic importance for the USA - a passage that was built by the USA.

So where is Britain in all this? What is happening with the geopolitical agenda? What is happening with trade? Britain has a limited presence in Antarctica, but so do other countries. Undoubtedly, British Islands in the South Atlantic are relevant as a gate to Antarctica. For Argentina, it is obviously a bonus. It is about asserting Argentinian influence. This is for Argentina a James Monroe Moment. Just imagine what it would mean for the Argentinian peoples and for President Milei himself. Imagine what it would mean to be seen as the Argentinian President that "recovered the South Atlantic Islands".

So we keep following developments. This could be the ultimate slap on the face of Britain. So President Trump is using it. "You did not help me with Iran. I would not help you in the South Atlantic."

In Brazil, President Lula da Silva is campaigning for a presidential election in which the son of the now former President Bolsonaro is standing, but with or without a Bolsonaro as Brazilian President, the winds of change are not blowing in favour of Britain. 

Second Round of Elections in Argentina: Radical Bullrich endorses Milei against Peronista Massa

 

Lider Radical Patricia Bullrich distances herself from two sectors of the alliance that supported her candidacy in the first round of elections to reject Peronista (Justicialista) candidate Sergio Massa (Argentinian Economics Minister) and support Javier Milei. 

Cristina Bullrich said she could not possible support Sergio Massa that she responsabilizes for the state of the economy in Argentina.

Her support for Javier Milei keeps the contest wide open. She got 24% of the vote in the first round of elections. Other political leaders have shown their allegiance of one of the two remaining Presidential Candidates. Divisions in Argentina spread across national borders and Argentina is one of two most powerful players in Mercosur. It is usually said that if Argentina sneezes Uruguay catches a cold.

In Uruguay, the political crisis surrounding the award of a Uruguayan passport to a well known drug trafficker is rocking the ruling coalition headed by President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou of the Partido National - one of the two conservative parties that make up the ruling coalition. The Opposition represented by Frente Amplio (Broad Front) plans to focus the heat on President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou to reveal how he knew about the affair. At this moment in time, Cabildo Abierto - member of the ruling coalition - has expressed doubts about remaing as member of the coalition.

Everything in Argentina and in Uruguay is touch and go. A return of the Frente Amplio is not unthinkable if the ruling coalition falls apart. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has publicly endorsed Sergio Massa and is ideologically closer to Frente Amplio. It must be said that Javier Milei has stated that he wants Argentina to leave Mercosur. So this is more than a second round of a Presidential Election in Argentina. The survival of the Mercosur is at stake and relationships inside the bloc and outside the bloc could be affected by what happens in the next fews days in Argentina.

Uruguay: None of the above and democracy in Latin America and the drugs trade

 

Uruguay: None of the above

Uruguay is facing a 'None of the above' moment when the country is heading towards a General Election. One in ten citizens qualified to vote do not want the present ruling coalition nor the Frente Amplio (Broad Front).

In spite of everything, Uruguay is in much better position that its neighbour Argentina that faces second round of elections this month having to decide between Justicialista Massa or Reformist Milei. There is a possibility that Radical supporters might vote for Justicialista Massa to prevent Reformist Milei from becoming President of Argentina. The formation of Parliament was decided in the first round of elections that took place in October.

The Coalition headed by President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou has made itself vulnerable and the recent round of scandals involved the resignation of major figures of the Coalition government including the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The scandal is about the award of a Uruguayan passport to a leading drug trafficker. Uruguay, like other Latin American countries, is part of the international drugs trade. Some years ago, Chile's economic boom in the building sector was due to massive amount of investments of monies produced by the international drugs trade and Uruguay is no exception.

There are major social issues including the rise of violence perpetrated by minors that led to calls to lower the age of legal responsibility. Drugs and other social issues are driving a major wave of criminality. That ten per cent of voters have been without any options when it comes to elections is worrying.

In a few months time, the warmongers of today will be history

Whether it is USA, Britain, Germany, France, et cetera, one thing is certain: key warmongers of today will not be around for long.

How much time has Biden left? How much time has Rishi Sunak left? How much time Scholz and Macron have left?

Look at America. What is happening in Latin America? There was a time when in Uruguay the Colorado Party has an almost completely monopoly of power. Then came the Partido National, the other Conservative Party of Uruguay. What happened next? The Frente Amplio (Broad Front) took the reins of power and the conservative parties of Uruguay could only come back as a coalition. 

What is happening in Argentina, in Chile, in Brazil, even in Bolivia? The old certainties have disappeared. The Partido Justicialista arrived completely divided in the October round of elections to select the new Argentinian Parliament - with barely 30 something of support compared to a completely political grouping that also got 30 something. Now, we wait for the second round of elections to see who is elected President of Argentina and on what basis. If Milei manages to attract the attention of younger generations chances are that he could be the winner replacing both Justicialistas and Radicales. But as political commentators remarked during the first round of elections, the issue is fundamentally not who is in charge but what can whoever is in charge do to revert a 134% rate of inflation.

Strategies to scare people and deter them from supporting alternative political forces are failing to do the job. People don't want continuity. They want positive changes. They are tired of a bit of the same. In Germany of all places the idea of banning a political force that already represents more than twenty per cent of the electors is a sign of desperation. Olaf Scholz knows that he is walking on a high rope with failing political partners. The SPD tried to distance itself from CDU/CSU as coalition member precisely because it was losing support. FPD is losing support and SPD itself is losing support. So how will the German coalition last? In spite of what politicians and mass media say, how feasible is a coalition of Alternative für Deutschland and other conservative groups. In the days of Angela Merkel, local CDU representatives were comfortable enough to work together with Alternative für Deutschland.

France is a bit of a puzzle. Macron is unpopular, but fears about the rise of Rassemblement National motivated some people to support what they did not like. Marine Le Pen did the right thing by choosing to have different young leaders to attract younger generations of voters.

Both in Germany and in France, political parties are exploiting what is happening in Palestine. Never mind what is happening in Palestine if what happens in Palestine helps them promote a certain narrative seeking to advance Nationalism in Germany and in France. Are you really and truly German? Are you really and truly French? Politics moves towards identity politics. You belong or you don't belong. You are part of the national culture or you are not part of the national culture. Multiculturalism is seen as a failure and Identity politics is no friend of Multiculturalism.

In Britain, with differences in political language approach, the message is clear: 'Multiculturalism is becoming a National Security issue' and the Home Secretary - herself a member of an ethnic minority - is investing a lot of political capital going against Multiculturalism. She does not explicitily say it, but the nature of what she is saying is obviously going against Multiculturalism. Other political operators are less shy and strictly say 'that is not British, they are not British'. She is diving the country and Mosques are becoming a target again. Not a target for people like Paul Golding that has dedicated his political career to attack Mulisms. They are becoming a target for the privileged political classes, because the privileged classes are closer to Jewish interests than they are to Muslim interests.

For one reason or another, Identity Politics is being promoted by people who used to say that they stood against Identity Politics. In a reversal of roles, Identity Politics is not been promoted by now defunct political forces like the BNP, the National Front or Britain First. Identity Politics is coming from the very top of British politics. Listen to commentators like Nigel Farage. What is he constantly talking about?

Whatever happens today you must remember that the warmongers of today will shortly be history. Even hawkish scarecrow Mr John Bolton might not be around too long. He criticizes Joe Biden saying that Jo Biden is not aggressive enough. Well, John Bolton was fired by President Trump because John Bolton wanted President Trump to be more aggressive. In retirement, a few cups of lime tea will do John Bolton a lot of good.