Milei at Cpac: Nods to the Free Trade Agreement With the Us and Support for Trump

The president  Javier Milei participated in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he reaffirmed his alignment with Donald Trump and his economic strategy.

In a nearly thirty-minute speech, the Argentine leader questioned the role of the State and praised the management of the former U.S. president, highlighting the importance of reducing state intervention in the economy.

Milei seeks to strengthen trade ties with the United States

One of the key points of his presentation was Argentina's intention to join the trade reciprocity agreement promoted by Trump. "Argentina wants to be the first country in the world to join this reciprocity agreement requested by the Trump administration in trade matters," stated Milei.

The president also pointed out that, if not restricted by Mercosur, his government would already be working on a new trade agreement with the United States.

Support for Trump and criticism of traditional parties

In his speech, Milei drew parallels between the political situation in Argentina and that of the United States, arguing that the traditional party system is based on state expansionism.  "In Argentina, we had a political system composed of about 50 shades of socialism. In the U.S., there was the illusion of bipartisanship with a Democratic party setting the agenda and a Republican party unable to confront it until the arrival of Donald Trump," he expressed.

The leader assured that political transformation can't come from traditional figures, but from leaders who "owe nothing to anyone."

"The era of the omnipresent State is over"

Milei reaffirmed his libertarian stance with a strong message against public spending:

"The only rational path is to shrink the State to its smallest possible expression. Reducing the size of the State is in itself an act of Justice, because every State expenditure is an extraction from the taxpayer."

The conservative audience received these words with ovations and applause, confirming the ideological support between Milei and the Trumpist movement.

Possible meeting with Trump and its impact on the IMF

After his speech, Milei could meet with Trump in a meeting yet to be scheduled. The meeting is crucial for Argentina, given that the White House plays an essential role in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

During his term, Trump had already favored Argentina in two strategic issues:

• In 2018, he pushed for the IMF loan of 53 billion dollars  for Mauricio Macri's government.
• He exempted Argentina from the steel and aluminum tariffs that affected other countries.
• Trump's support could accelerate negotiations with the IMF, although geopolitical tensions persist between the U.S. and NATO regarding the war in Ukraine, which could generate resistance from some European countries.

Milei's international gamble

For the Argentine government, an official photo with Trump at the CPAC would place Milei in a privileged position on the international stage. His decision to strengthen ties with the former U.S. president reinforces his geopolitical strategy and his economic model based on free market and deregulation.