Wolf.17 Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Argentina's President Javier Milei has denied that it is ordinary Argentines who are paying for his radical austerity measures. In a BBC interview, Mr Milei, who campaigned with a chainsaw to symbolise his desire to slash public spending, insisted that the political class were paying for his huge cuts, not the people. The right-wing economist was voted in after years of high government spending and high debt. Inflation is now starting to fall after it initially soared when he took office in December, but it remains the highest in the world annually. The president's critics argue millions of Argentines are paying the price for his austerity programme. Meeting him for the interview in his presidential office, there were clues to his unconventional political background as a celebrity TV economics pundit: a photo of the Rolling Stones (he was in a tribute band), a bust of himself on the desk, a toy model with a chainsaw, and a water bottle with a photo of himself on it. Gifts from his fans, his team said. His face lit up with glee when he told me his favourite Rolling Stones song is Rip This Joint, which he said was off an album with "libertarian components". Since he became president, he has maintained his radical rhetoric about the economy, but has toned it down on other issues. He refused to repeat his past criticism of China, one of Argentina's biggest trading partners, a nation which he labelled an "assassin" during his presidential campaign. As far as economics is concerned, he has made cutting inflation, which stands at 287% annually, his clear priority, arguing that "the most regressive tax that most afflicts people is inflation". But many of his policies have caused prices to rise in the short term, at a time when salaries and pensions are not keeping up with inflation. Julia is one of those who can no longer make ends meet on her monthly pension of about US$190 (£150). https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68935255 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium
Recommended Posts