Argentinians “needier and needier” after over 100 days of Javier Milei

In December, amid Argentina's deep economic troubles, far-right libertarian politician Javier Milei, who campaigned on a pledge to radically shift the country's direction by opening up the economy and reducing inflation rates, was sworn in as President.

Milei, a political outsider, gained popular support by criticising the Argentine political "caste" for the country's economic troubles.

Reduction of the number of ministries, layoffs and relaxing state regulation were among Milei's campaign promises, insisting on "Freedom. Private property and God above all."

During his inauguration, flanked by prominent figures from the global right-wing movement, including Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, he insisted, "There is no money," reiterating his pledge to slash public spending.

This April marked over 100 days since Milei assumed office amid deep political polarisation in Argentina.

Analysts suggest Milei has harnessed the fury some in the country have felt, to propel his policy-making.

Ernesto Seman, an Argentine Professor of History at Norway's University of Bergen, says Milei appears to be driven by the notion of "ideologically aligning Argentina with this furious international far-right."

The analyst, who also served as an Argentine diplomat under President Nestor Kirchner in the early 2000s, sees consistency between Milei's policy ideas and the current administration's initial actions.

"He (Milei) seems aligned with Steve Bannon's idea of permanent conflict as a way of building and exercising power. In this view, real societal transformations only come from radicalisation," Seman tells TRT World.

He believes Milei views the public sphere as an "aggressive arena" in which leadership and dominance are built from wide-ranging social discontent while seeking to entice different sectors of society.

"Milei grabs a farmer, a merchant, and an unemployed person and tells them a common denominator of their evils, which in his discourse is 'I'm completely fed up with the State,'" Seman says.

Seman believes Milei draws influence from the hardline element of the United States' neoconservative movement.

In his view, this includes the Middle East and the unconditional alignment with the United States, and Israel serves figures like Milei and other far-right leaders as a blueprint to establish an international order in which "coercion and realpolitik" rise at any cost.

In a controversial visit to Israel in February, Milei underscored Israel's "right to self-defence" and significance as a strategic partner, despite the limited commercial ties between the two countries and reaffirmed a pledge to relocate the Argentine Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Unlike many South American nations, Argentina has refrained from questioning or condemning Israel's onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Following tensions between Iran and Israel, Javier Milei opted to halt an ongoing international tour to convene a "Crisis Cabinet," joined by the Israeli ambassador, culminating in a joint press conference. It sparked bewilderment and critique as questions were raised regarding why a foreign ambassador was invited to participate in a domestic cabinet meeting.

Milei had previously told the DAVOS community, "The Western world is in danger." During the campaign for the presidency, Milei underscored how Israel and the United States would form his Western alliance. Later in February as Argentina's president, Milei went on meet Presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) summit.

Most recently, Milei met with General Laura Richardson of the United States Southern Command in Ushuaia's Tierra del Fuego to announce the establishment of a joint military base with the US.

Reports describe it as having strategic geopolitical importance relating to the Strait of Magellan and Antarctica further south. It is considered a key transit route for vessels to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Milei's announcement has drawn some criticism from some sectors, who say it requires approval from Congress.

Nevertheless, Seman suggests that under Milei, Argentina's traditional approach to international cooperation appears to have deviated on the international stage.

"It is an exaggerated gesture that has nothing to do with the Argentinian political tradition of multipolarism and neutrality. These are constitutive elements of his view of the world that are much more ideological than economical," says the analyst.

Tightening the state coffers

During his campaign, Milei promised that the so-called political "caste" would pay the necessary fiscal adjustment, not the people.

In his first presidential speech, Milei called for "patience and trust," insisting that it would take time for his economic reforms to bear fruit in Argentina.

However, according to recent surveys, 90% of the population believes that everyone, including those least well off, is paying the price of these adjustments - after the state removed subsidies for vital services, including transportation, electricity and gas.

The World Bank and the IMF have praised the measures, describing Argentina as on the right economic path.

The President described his actions at a business forum for the mining sector as "the most significant fiscal adjustment in the shortest amount of time of a country in history."

Since taking office, the Milei administration has suspended food assistance dedicated to assisting thousands of soup kitchens – a popular policy under the previous government.

Milei has additionally terminated 160,000 social plans known as Potenciar Trabajo, a form of direct aid to alleviate those facing economic hardship. Among the recipients of these social plans were largely women, many of whom worked in soup kitchens.

Those in marginalised communities say the funding cuts affect their ability to work and put food on the table.

TRT World visited Ramona and Marta, two women in their sixties who work in a soup kitchen in the city of Cordoba. Until February, they cooked three times a week for their community.

But amid a lack of investment, they say they have cut their cooking to two days a week, which is impacting the community.

"Now they're are needier and needier, and of the other three soup kitchens that were in the neighbourhood, only one is functioning, the one at the Church, and that is only for children. But the retirees are going hungry, seriously hungry," Marta tells TRT World.

Ramona and Marta are part of "La Poderosa," a neighbourhood organisation that emerged in Buenos Aires after the socio-economic meltdown in the early 2000s. Since then, its footprint has grown across Argentina.

They say different local authorities and private donations have also hampered their ability to provide food for those in need.

But amid the challenging situation, they insist they try to provide at least 250 meals.

"The President's 'There's no money' is felt everywhere, and there is no relief for those who have the least; it is as if they want the poor to die. But if you complain, they repress you; for that, there is money," says Martha.

The cooks say they have had to put people on a waiting list.

"Now we have 22 people on the waiting list. It is our turn to tell a neighbour who is hungry that his hunger has to wait. Everything is very painful,' says Ramona.

Healthcare cutbacks

Crucial healthcare has also been dealt a blow amid major cuts in spending, resulting in the treatment for tens of thousands of patients with rare and oncological diseases being left in limbo.

One body, the Directorate of Direct Assistance for Special Diseases, or DADSE, was created to assist patients with costly monthly treatments ranging to thousands of dollars.

However, with cuts, not everyone can afford healthcare, leaving many in a precarious situation.

Twenty-five-year-old Luciano Martinez from Buenos, who suffers from Crohn's disease, had been receiving vital health care but is not any longer.

The government is conducting an audit and has halted some critical healthcare, say local reports.

Martinez's mother, Natalia Otranto, a restaurant cook, is trying her best to support her son.

She says Martinez last received his weekly dose of injectable medication in November, which ran out in March.

Otranto says they are pushing authorities to provide healthcare again but have yet to succeed.

"The Government says this (audit) issue has been resolved and that the patients in the system are receiving the corresponding assistance, but it is an absolute lie; they are not receiving anything," she tells TRT World.

Otranto says the audits could be carried out without suspending healthcare services and believes it is part of a wider governmental push to reduce spending.

"Every week, we hear about people who are dying because their conditions worsened after stopping their treatments. My son Luciano runs that same life risk," she says.

"It is very cruel what they're subjecting us to. But not knowing what to do, who to ask for help is the worst part of all."