MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei and Villarruel embrace next at the Cenotaph

Milei and Villarruel embrace next at the Cenotaph

Taking advantage of the commemoration to honor the Heroes of Malvinas, Milei stressed the importance of a strong and prosperous economy, based on the concept of freedom to produce and trade and thus respected internationally, as the basis for ensuring that claims over the Malvinas sovereignty will be taken seriously, and with prospects of advancing. He said that a leadership that for decades only produced more poor people and made Argentina a serial defaulter, had no chances of being listened or considered.

Milei also underlined the need of strong Armed Forces, supported by a vigorous economy to deliver resources and technology and not a government that was only concerned in harassing and discrediting the forces. He invited society and leadership to a new understanding with the Argentine Armed Forces, beginning on this April 2nd a 'reconciliation time'.

President Javier Milei, along with Vice President Victoria Villarruel, led a solemn tribute to the fallen of the Falklands/Malvinas War on the 42nd anniversary of the conflict. https://t.co/z5ve0x8G9U pic.twitter.com/Sg1DaypVZd

— MercoPress (@MercoPressNews) April 2, 2024

The president looked back into history and resurfaced the figure of General Julio Argentino Roca and his generation of the eighties from the nineteenth century which allegedly did what Milei is proposing, a strong economy, a state limited to its basic responsibilities, which meant there was freedom to produce, to trade, to circulate, and strong Armed Forces as an acknowledgement to a Great Argentina.

The figure of Roca is anathema for the Kirchnerite movement who claim the general president far from a civilizer had an abusive, colonial attitude towards the indigenous peoples. Kirchner acolytes promoted the destruction or removal of Roca statues particularly in Patagonian provinces.

He then pressed with his project of a May Pact, on the 25th of that month, when allegedly the political leadership is expected to sign the ten basic principles that will rule the New Economic Order of Argentina. This is part of a strategy to bypass congress where Milei's minimum numbers have stalled and found strong resistance from the Kirchnerite block forcing him to pause many of his promised reforms.

Not less important following the floral wreath at the Cenotaph ceremony Milei embraced a couple of minutes his vice president Villarruel, in a clear message contradicting rumors of a rift and publications in the Buenos Aires media that the two had clashed on several policies and issues. The two walked away from the ceremony held by the arm.

Finally in a brief ceremony at the Executive's seat, Casa Rosada or Pink House, with the participation of ministers, military hierarchy plus Malvinas Veterans, the name of the Hall where the event was taking place was officially changed, from Hall of the Indigenous Peoples to Hall of the Malvinas Heroes.