US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Friday in Buenos Aires with ultra-liberal President Javier Milei and assured that Argentina “can count on” the United States to stabilize its economy.
“The people of Argentina can count on us as they work to stabilize their economy,” Blinken said in a joint news conference with his counterpart Diana Mondino, where he emphasized that he sees “tremendous progress” at the end of a turbulent tour of Latin America Potential.” ” in the South American country.
“Argentina has what the world needs, we want to be partners with Argentina and at the same time help feed the world,” added the US diplomacy chief, referring to the South American country's agricultural potential.
In addition, he stressed that the United States is the country with the largest foreign investment in the South American country and that he wants to keep it that way: “We want US companies to continue to be Argentina's partner of choice.”
YOU CAN SEE: With Javier Milei, the United States speaks out for the first time on the dollarization of Argentina
Previously, Blinken met with President Milei, who said that with this visit, “Argentina has decided to return to the side of the West, to the side of progress, to the side of democracy and, above all, freedom.”
Blinken previously visited the famous May PlazaSite of numerous celebrations and dramas of Argentine history, as well as the Cabildo Museum, historical seat of the colonial and then post-colonial executive of Buenos Aires, where he held discussions with representatives of civil society.
It is the first visit to Argentina for the US diplomatic chief, who attended a meeting of his G20 colleagues in Brazil on Wednesday and Thursday. He also met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Blinken's visit comes as social temperatures are rising in Argentina, where the austerity measures of Milei's ultra-liberal government are taking their toll: Inflation was 254% in January compared to last year and half the population lives in poverty.
YOU CAN SEE: Biden calls Putin a “crazy son of a bitch” during fundraiser.
On Wednesday there was a nationwide train strike, on Thursday a strike by health workers and this Friday thousands of people demonstrated in the main cities of Argentina to demand food aid from the Milei government for community kitchens and reject its adaptation policies.
Milei's last visits
- Milei plans to travel to a conservative party conference in Washington on Saturday, where former US President Donald Trump will also be present.
- This week, Argentine authorities received Gita Gopinath, deputy director of the IMF, an organization from which the country has borrowed $57 billion.