Argentina touts libertarian social justice to Blinken before Javier Milei visits CPAC – Washington Examiner

Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino brushed off the idea that any disagreements about social justice could divide her government from President Joe Biden as Argentine President Javier Milei prepares to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in the United States.

When we talk about social justice, its a comment that it hasnt been ingrained in Argentina whether to help someone, they take away from somebody else, Mondino said Friday during a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Whereas to our understanding, social justice should be to give each and every one equal opportunities and the possibilities of keeping whatever they are helping produce but not taking away from somebody else.

That libertarian conception of social justice is emblematic of the free market ideology that Milei espoused throughout his presidential campaign, in which a backlash against the leftist government that presided over triple-digit inflation percentages propelled him to victory. The same ideological outlook has made him a natural partner of the U.S. in opposition to Russia and China and a celebrity on the American Right, exemplified by his invitation to join former President Donald Trump at CPAC just one day after his meeting with Blinken in Buenos Aires.

Milei watched very closely what Trump did, how Trump became president, how Trump fashioned himself and learned along the way, Lauri Tahtinen, a South America expert affiliated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Washington Examiner. This is somebody whos been inspired by elements on the American Right for many years.

That makes Mileis trip a tricky visit for Argentinian officials. Mondino, for her part, floated the possibility that Milei might be unable to meet with Trump even if they intend to do so.

I dont know whether there will be any meetings in CPAC, she said.I can say that since these are commercial flights, there might be delays and any schedules might be disrupted.

Blinken was careful not to signal any displeasure over Mileis itinerary. With regard to President Milei, look, I cant speak to his schedule and future meetings,he said. Thats of course entirely up to him. All I can speak to is the meeting that we just had, and I can tell you, following on what the foreign minister said, that it was, from my perspective, at least, an incredibly positive, productive, detailed, wide-ranging discussion.

Mileis background as an economist has contributed to his general desire to cooperate with the U.S. on a range of economic and geopolitical fronts. American free-market economist Milton Friedman, for instance, looms as one of Mileis chief intellectual influences, a philosophical formation that helps to account for Mileis decision to reject an invitation for Argentina to join BRICS, a bloc that China and Russia hope will counter the weight of Western allies.

In the long term, if other Latin American countries follow Argentinas lead in reevaluating their involvement in BRICS, where China plays a major role, it could potentially weaken the blocs regional economic influence and undermine Chinas growing influence in Latin America, Dr. Zhang Chi, in international relations expert at the University of St. Andrews, told the South China Morning Post.

Milei also announced, during a trip to Israel in early February, that he intends to move the Argentine Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. And his government is an outspoken supporter of Ukraine against Russias aggression, as Mondino demonstrated again on Friday.

Its not just about territorial integrity, which of course is very important, Mondino said. Here we are talking about a case involving children that are not with their parents or families in Ukraine but rather in Russia right now, and its hard to identify them.

Her unprompted remark was a reference to the alleged forced deportation of Ukrainian children into Russia, which U.N. investigators and Blinken alike have assessed to be a war crime. That posture represents a major shift for Argentina, as his predecessors joined Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in 2022 and offered to make Argentina Russias gateway to Latin America just weeks before Putin launched the full-scale war in Ukraine.

We would like to see Argentina and the United States showcase their shared values, basically democracy and freedom, Mondino said. Weve had visits focusing on trying to understand what the best way is for us to work together but, above all things, to find the best way for Argentina to be able to fulfill its true goals.

Blinken noted that Argentina has the potential to play a critical role in building supply chains for critical minerals that will drive the economy of the 21st century, particularly things like lithium. The remark could bode poorly for China, which has made multi-billion-dollar investments, as an Australian think tank observed.

The United States is already the leading provider of foreign direct investment in Argentina, but we see tremendous opportunity to do more, Blinken said. Beyond the economic partnership between our countries, we value Argentinas leadership on regional and global security issues.

Despite that backdrop of policy convergence, Mileis decision to attend a political conference organized by Trumps devotees We believe he has captured the spirit of those who see the treachery of globalist elites, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp said last week when he announced Mileis participation could irritate the Biden administration.

It is not in Argentinas interest to alienate the U.S. leadership, the Wilson Centers Benjamin Gedan, who held Argentina-focused policy roles in the State Department and White House National Security Council during the Obama presidency, told the Buenos Aires Herald. The U.S.-Argentina relationship has enormous potential at this moment. This is no time to wade into partisan combat in the U.S.

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Mondino emphasized that Biden and Milei should be able to get along in any case.

And as regards to whether leaders are compatible or not, well, why not?I mean, everybody supports the same ideas, Mondino said. And even if they didnt, we live in a very complicated world; we all need to work [toward] common objectives. Thats whats really very important.

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Argentina touts libertarian social justice to Blinken before Javier Milei visits CPAC - Washington Examiner