Milei Claims Political Enemies Want Him Dead Before Key Vote
Argentine President Javier Milei told Belgian outlet 21News that Kirchnerist forces will destroy his economic plan, incite violent protests, or try to kill him if they cannot derail his reforms.
He spoke with journalist Louis Sarkozy at the Casa Rosada as the September 7 Buenos Aires provincial vote nears.
Milei revealed deeper insights into his alliance with French President Macron, explaining Macron helped secure a loan to stabilize Argentina’s central bank.
He contrasted France’s unified European Central Bank system with Argentina’s fragmented monetary crisis, where central-bank liabilities once outpaced the monetary base more than during 1989’s hyperinflation.
He also shared a striking insurance analogy: Argentina’s bloated state functioned like an overpriced insurer that failed during the pandemic, costing 7 percent of GDP in inefficiencies.
By slashing public spending 30 percent of GDP in six months, he turned a deficit into a surplus without violating property rights.
Milei underscored his belief that ideological labels—“socialist,” “fascist,” “nazi”—are cynical stunts by opponents to silence debate. He described these as tactics of “psychopaths” who refuse to negotiate any reform “millimeter by millimeter.”
Milei’s Shock Reforms Cool Inflation but Heighten Political Risks
On immigration, he warned that open-border policies work only where newcomers adopt local culture; unchecked influx becomes “invasion” that sweeps away a society’s foundational values.
His assassination warning follows real violence. On August 28, rock-throwers in Lomas de Zamora forced his evacuation. Kirchnerist militant Machi Cabrera vowed to escalate beyond stones next time.
Provincial officials issued rare security alerts about Milei’s Moreno rally site, citing flooded roads, scattered debris, and no secure perimeter.
Milei’s reforms have slashed monthly inflation from 25 percent at his inauguration to 1.5 percent by May 2025. Annual inflation fell from 211 percent to 43 percent after deep austerity, devaluation, and a $20 billion IMF package.
The economy grew 7.7 percent in April, but unemployment rose to 7.9 percent and poverty briefly spiked to 38.1 percent. Buenos Aires, home to 40 percent of voters, polls at 36.7 percent for Peronists versus 34.8 percent for Milei’s La Libertad Avanza.
Victory would cement his “shock-therapy” agenda before October’s national midterms; defeat could force reversals that unsettle global commodity markets dependent on Argentina’s exports.
More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
In depth