The elected President of Argentina, the ultraright Javier Milei, began this Monday the 20th to announce the members of the first season of his government, which will begin on December 10th.
Milei says his cabinet will only have eight ministries: Economy, foreign relations, infrastructure, security, home affairs, defense, justice and human capital (this includes social development, health, work and education).
Sandra Petovello is selected for the Ministry of Human Capital. The definition of the heads of the defense and security departments must be the responsibility of the elected Vice President Victoria Villarruel, a denier of the horrors of the Argentine dictatorship.
Last week, Villarruel criticized the former Esma Memorial, where the dictatorship’s largest secret detention and torture center operated from 1976 to 1983. She also claimed that “the field of human rights has been a real black hole for the provision of subsidies, state assets and compensation.”
5,000 of the 30,000 prisoners who disappeared during the military regime passed through Esma. Today it is a museum for the space of memory and the promotion and defense of human rights. However, Villarruel even questions the number of people who disappeared during the dictatorship.
This Monday, Milei said that the lawyer Mariano Cúneo Libarona will be Minister of Justice and that the former candidate for governor of Buenos Aires, Carolina Píparo, will take over the National Social Security Agency, a position occupied by the Peronist Sergio Massa, who, on Sunday, the 19th, was defeated by Milei, has already taken over occupied, early 2000s.
Another almost certain appointment is that of Diana Mondino as Argentina’s future chancellor. The post is particularly important for Brazil as Milei attacks President Lula (PT), who is not expected to attend the ultraright’s inauguration ceremony.
One likely move is the election of Guillermo Francos, Argentina’s former representative to the InterAmerican Development Bank, as interior minister.
Another definition that Argentines are eagerly awaiting is that of the next economy minister, given inflation of over 140% in the last 12 months. The presidentelect said he would not announce the election this Monday because opponents would decide to “torpedo the minister before he takes office.”
The announcements came as part of a series of interviews with local radio stations. On this occasion, Milei reiterated some of his inflammatory ideas, including closing the central bank, dollarizing the economy and privatizing “everything that could be in the hands of the private sector.”
Milei reiterated that closing the central bank is “a moral obligation” and stressed that it requires dollarizing the economy.
He also said that his first international trips after the election would be to the United States and Israel before he takes office. However, the dates have not yet been announced.
When defending his privatization agenda, he directly mentioned the stateowned oil exploration and refining company YPFand public communications companies.
The petrochemical company was nationalized in 2012 under the leadership of Cristina Kirchner. The presidentelect stated that it was necessary to “rebuild” it and restore its value.
“In the transition when we think about the energy question, YPF and Enarsa [Energía Argentina Sociedad Anónima] have a role. As long as these structures are rationalized, they will be used to add value so that they can be sold in a very beneficial way for Argentines,” said Milei.
In one of the radio interviews, he took the opportunity to criticize Televisión Pública, accusing the channel of becoming a “propaganda mechanism” during the government of Alberto Fernández.
“75 percent of what was said about our site was negative, lying and supporting the ‘fear campaign.’ I will not abide by these practices of a propaganda ministry,” he claimed.
“Public television must be privatized. Anything that can get into the hands of the private sector will also be in the hands of the private sector. National Radio and [Agência] Telam? Yes, privately owned. Secure.”