Milei to take aim at United Nations in General Assembly speech

President Javier Milei travels to the United States today to deliver a maiden speech to the annual General Assembly of the United Nations that will be laced with criticism of the multilateral body.

On his sixth trip to the United States since taking office, Milei, 53, is expected to deliver a critical speech before world leaders. 

According to sources close to him, Milei will use his maiden appearance at the UN General Assembly to directly question the current role of international organisations such as the UN itself.

“He will focus on what has been and what will be the role of the international organisations,” sources close to the President anticipated enthusiastically.

The La Libertad Avanza leader will also criticise the UN’s 2030 agenda, slam its “alignment with China” and other “socialist” countries, and air criticism of climate change and gender policies. 

Knowing that world leaders will be sizing him up in New York, Milei  is said to be keen on making an impact. Government sources said he intends to adopt the same approach as he did last January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he deployed all his verbal artillery against “collectivism” while rubbishing Agenda 2030. 

The President’s criticisms of the UN for pushing its Agenda 2030 – above all, everything related to gender issues, feminism, abortion and the struggle against climate – already have as a precedent the  participation of the family issues expert Ursula Basset at the plenary meeting of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in July. 

In several meetings, Basset has presented the new Argentine stance, opposing positions taken by the Alberto Fernández government at the OAS and other international forums. 

Apart from his Assembly speech, when he will speak in the 4th shift, at a good distance from the representative of Iran, whom he wants to avoid at all costs, Milei will visit Wall Street on Monday and address the Council of the Americas. 

He will also have time for bilateral meetings with fellow-presidents although there is one possible conclave which gives rise to the greatest expectations: the possibility of a meeting with ex-US president Donald Trump. Casa Rosada sources say a meeting with the Republican presidential candidate is not confirmed.
A meeting could be black mark against Milei if Trump loses the election to Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris. 

Milei will be accompanied by Economy Minister Luis Caputo, Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and presidential chief-of- staff Karina Milei. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and the head of the Central Bank, Santiago Bausili, could also join the travelling delegation.

IMF speculation

Despite heavy speculation, government sources insisted this week that no formal meetings with representatives from the White House or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been scheduled for the visit so far.

The agenda is still not complete but all activities will be concentrated in New York and Caputo will travel alone without his Ministry’s technocrats. 

Confirmation of Milei’s trip last week sparked growing questions as to the start of negotiations with the IMF, with the discussion of a new programme, the third in six years, still not off the ground. 

The ball is in Argentina’s court, especially after pressuring IMF Western Hemisphere Director Rodrigo Valdés (dubbed a “leftist” by Milei) into withdrawing from the conversations with Argentina, leaving  negotiations in the hands of his subordínate Luis Cubeddu.

Earlier this week, Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos confirmed that the government will be seeking a new understanding with the IMF but gave no dates or details.

Any new programme with the IMF is likely to include fresh funds, but doubts in Washington remain over the political sustainability of Milei’s libertarian project. 

– TIMES/NA