On December 10, Javier Milei will assume the presidency of the Argentine Republic (2023-2027). In terms of Foreign Policy, the economist will try to carry out an Argentine “Foreign Service Reform” and implement a “modern and liberal Diplomacy”, which will be led by the economist and next Argentine Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino. The president-elect has declared his total alignment with “the United States, Israel and the democracies of the free world.” Furthermore, during the electoral campaign, he asserted that he would break bilateral relations – at the government level – with Brazil and China, the largest trading partners of the southern country, just as he rejected Argentina’s entry into the BRICS and spoke of “eliminating Mercosur.” A few days after the self-proclaimed libertarian ‘s victory, Mondino has been denying, minimizing and reinterpreting Milei’s statements.
The International Relations of the new Argentine government seem to have the same burden of uncertainty and conflict as the announced domestic policies. However, the president-elect -who has presented himself as a fervent anarcho-capitalist and, later, as a passionate libertarian liberal- has maintained that during his government he will make decisions pragmatically.
Mondine, the new Argentine Chancellor
The person in charge of putting into practice a foreign policy and pragmatic international relations (or of removing the far-right ideological tinge from Milei’s sayings) is Diana Mondino (65), future Argentine Chancellor. However, Mondino’s knowledge and mastery in these matters, as well as in her diplomatic career, has been questioned, but her extensive and robust training in economics, finance, foreign trade, and business administration has not.
BRICS & Mercosur
Mondino has had to explain that diplomatic and bilateral relations at the state level with Brazil, China, and Russia are not going to be broken. This -although at the multilateral level- would leave a door open so that Argentina’s entry into the BRICS group could be reconsidered by the liberal-libertarian leader. Mercosur, on the contrary, would not suffer the same fate, since for the elected president it is “an imperfect customs union”, and for the future Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Mercosur has become old.” The next meeting of the South American economic bloc will take place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, on December 7.
Brazil
In the case of Brazil, the leader of alliance La Libertad Avanza (LLA) referred, before and during the Argentine electoral campaign, to President Lula da Silva as “corrupt” and “communist.” Furthermore, after being elected president, he invited Jair Bolsonaro at the Inauguration in Buenos Aires. Along the same lines, Milei stated that he did not see any problem in not maintaining communication with Lula, since President Alberto Fernández (2019-2023) did not do so with Bolsonaro (2019-2022) either. Milei considers that commercial exchange between both countries should take place between private parties (people and companies) without the intervention of the State.
This being the case, it is very likely that the Brazilian president will not attend the Inauguration on December 10, but it is certain that he will not hinder Argentina’s bilateral -or multilateral- relations, at a regional or global level.
China
In the case of China, Mondino also had to liven up Milei’s statements, which were quite clear: “Not only am I not going to do business with China, I am not going to do business with any communist. I am a defender of freedom, peace and democracy. The communists do not enter there, the Chinese do not enter there.” The future Argentine Chancellor, asserted that diplomatic relations with China will continue normally, in fact, before the Chinese government classified the breaking of relations as a “serious mistake” between Argentina and China, and President Xi Jinping sent a letter to Milei, there were already conversations with the Chinese ambassador in Buenos Aires, Wang Wei. Xi’s letter carries weight in itself, which is why all possibilities are now on the table.
Russia – Ukraine
The relationship at the state level between Argentina and Russia, despite Milei’s statements against the “Putin dictatorship”, would also have its continuity guaranteed, since, according to Mondino: “Russia invaded Ukraine, but has done nothing serious enough to break relationships”. However, Milei – in a telephone communication already as president-elect – spoke with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and proposed that “Argentina be the venue for a summit between Ukraine and Latin America.”
International Agenda
Milei’s first trips – before the Inauguration – will have as destinations: the United States and Israel, in that order. According to Milei’s statements, these trips will have a “more spiritual than political” motive; however, meetings with spokespersons for the Biden Administration or with technicians or directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not ruled out.
Likewise, Milei has communicated – and has a lot of ideological affinity – with the president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Poe, with whom he would already be organizing a visit to Montevideo. It is important to mention that the Uruguayan president is promoting a High-Level meeting between China and Mercosur, in order to advance a bilateral (or multilateral) agreement with the Asian giant. In 2024, Lacalle Poe also wants to promote a China – Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) meeting, and offers to serve as the host country. The current Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) of CELAC is headed by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, who in 2024 will transfer the PPT to the president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro.
Other governments in our region with which Milei could have or build momentary affinity are Ecuador, due to the monetary experience of more than 23 years in dollarization, that is, the process of eliminating its monetary cone (the Sucre), in addition to its brand-new President, Daniel Noboa (2023-2027), begins his duties almost at the same time as Milei. Peru has also shown interest in establishing ties with the Milei government. Although the Andean country is experiencing a strong political and institutional crisis, President Dina Boluarte has confirmed her presence at the Inauguration and has officially invited Milei to visit Lima.
Some conclusions
The so-called Argentine “Foreign Ministry Reform”, which will seek to project a “modern and liberal Diplomacy”, is actually presented – with few exceptions – more as a cleansing of Kirchnerist references from the Foreign Service. The government of Javier Milei will seek to replace political positions with technical positions, with people who do not necessarily have a diplomatic career, but who have the profile most desired by La Libertad Avanza (LLA). Those favored will come from the areas of Economy and Finance, the private sector and the business world, as is the case of the future Argentine Chancellor, Diana Mondino.
It is a fact that the elected president of Argentina will continue his attacks against the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela (as well as against North Korea and Iran), among other sovereign nations that he classifies as “communist dictatorships.” At the same time, anarcho-capitalist will seek an approach to the young population of those countries, as it will do in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, among other countries, in order to generate instability and, especially in Venezuela, export his anarcho-capitalist ideas to intervene in the 2024 electoral process.
We will be evidencing Milei’s first steps in the search to establish himself as a relevant figure in the concert of nations, perhaps, the greatest representative of the extreme right at a regional and continental level, with aspirations to bring fresh air to the most reactionary, racist, sexist, neoliberal and conservative of the global extreme right.
