Thursday, March 28, 2024
Perfil

ARGENTINA | 08-07-2021 15:37

From Spain, Macri claims Argentina is witnessing biggest exodus in its history

Former president attacks Alberto Fernández's government during event in Spain, saying it will be "the last populist government" in Argentina’s history.

Mauricio Macri claimed Thursday that Argentina is witnessing the biggest “exodus” of citizens in its history, as he again strongly criticised President Alberto Fernández’s government.

The former president, who is in Europe to promote his book Primer Tiempo in Spain, said that huge amounts of citizens had left the country since he left office in December 2019 and that change is on the way in Argentina.

Attacking the current administration, Macri said that it would be "the last populist government" in Argentina’s history. The “legacy” of his own 2015-2019 term in office would eventually come to be seen as “the prologue of change,” he assured.

"They believe that raising taxes will work forever but today, in a globalised world, more than ever, not only does capital migrate, people migrate. Unfortunately, the exodus that has taken place in Argentina over the last year and a half has never been seen before," said the PRO party founder, speaking at a conference of Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP), offering no statistics to back up his claim.

"I am pessimistic in the short term because Argentina is suffering a lot and we will continue to suffer for a while longer, but optimistic in the long term because it is a maturation, an apprenticeship.

"I am convinced that with this exposition of the shortcomings of ruling populism, we Argentines are learning one last painful lesson," he stressed.

Macri also offered the opinion that today in Argentina, there is neither full democracy or freedom. 

"Coups d'état no longer exist as we knew them, with tanks on the streets," he said. "Today, someone enters the system and it begins to dismantle every day – a little less freedom of the press here, a judge pressured there and when you realise what's happening, you have reached a point of no return."

The former president, who aides say will participate in meetings related to his post with the FIFA Foundation while in Europe, is expected to spend at least two weeks in Europe. His reasons for the trip have been the subject of wide speculation in recent days, with some local outlets speculating that he is exploring the potential of moving to Spain should the Peronist government win this November’s midterms.

 

– TIMES/NA

related news

Comments

More in (in spanish)