MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei and Peña stand for “Western values” at conservative event in Asunción

Also on Tuesday, the like-minded Peña and Milei had a one-on-one meeting at the presidential López Palace

Argentine President Javier Milei defended his fiscal adjustment policies and “Western culture” in meetings with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Tuesday.

At the conference, Milei rejected the idea of “third ways” or a “moderate option,” stating that such compromises only support a “decadent system.” He also linked capitalism and Israel to Judeo-Christian values, which he argued is why they are attacked by the left.

“Capitalism is built on the foundations of Judeo-Christian values, and that is why they attack people of faith and why they also attack Israel so violently, because ultimately Israel is the bastion of the West because it is the political basis of Western culture,” Milei told a packed auditorium.

President Peña echoed these sentiments, reaffirming his support for Israel and “Western ideals.”

“It is important to understand that there are no third ways on this path. Any so-called moderate option serves the decadent system that we are working so hard to leave behind,” Milei also told the Conservative forum.

“Sooner or later, good and truth will triumph,” Milei also pointed out when addressing Charlie Kirk's murder, for whom a minute's silence was observed.

Milei's visit to Paraguay was met with some protest by activists and students who oppose his fiscal policies. Additionally, the Paraguayan Journalists' Union (SPP) claimed that reporters were prevented from recording his speech at CPAC.

The Argentine leader will remain in Paraguay until Wednesday, when he will attend a session in Congress.

Peña also stressed that “the strength of Paraguayan culture, economy, and society lies in this conviction to protect the family and the sanctity of life,” emphasizing that he will defend before the world his opposition to “free abortion,” “alternative ideas of the family,” and “radical social experiments.”

Also on Tuesday, the like-minded Peña and Milei had a one-on-one meeting at the presidential López Palace.

In his speech at CPAC, US envoy Richard Grenell advocated for diplomacy and defended the search for dialogue between the Trump administration and the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, amid tension between the two countries over the military deployment ordered by Washington in the Caribbean and rejected by Caracas.