“They’re getting it really wrong with this Victoria thing”. That was a minister’s phrase to PERFIL when assessing the criticism by President Javier Milei, his circle and his media allies to Vice President Victoria Villarruel, which made it clear that the situation has struck a core at the heart of libertarianism. For the first time in a long time one of their own was attacked.
In this vein, Fausto Spotorno and Teddy Karagozian’s exits from the council of advisors did not bother anyone. The former was an economist who only maintained contact with the President but without any real impact in practice. Given the first criticism, he was ousted. Then came the turn of the textile man. He was never considered to be in Milei’s intimate circle. His exit did not disturb anyone. Likewise, it was easy to oust Julio Garro from the Sports undersecretariat. He was a Mauricio Macri man. The PRO is brushed aside by the libertarian party, the same way Macri did with the Radicals.
Yet the matter with Villarruel was different. The Vice President had already left her positition of doing politics independently clear. That earned her the hatred of Karina Milei, the President’s almighty sister. Her post on X against France caused a diplomatic problema that the Office of the Chief of Staff managed to filter and exaggerate by going personally to the embassy in front of the media. Milei spoke of an “unfortunate” post. And the libertarian networks went after the Vice President’s head.
“There are many sycophants surrounding the President” said in anger Senator Francisco Paoltroni on the radio. The man from Formosa said he would not be quiet, let alone when “we’re going too far. There’s nothing farther from liberal ideas than to become an enemy for what you think”, he added. The battle escalated when journalists close to the President made editorial comments remarking that Milei was “very angry” with Villarruel, to the point that she is already “no longer part of the government”. Given the criticism, the official chose to lower the tension and said that she had only defended Argentina and was not taking note of any interpretation.
“We’re seeing it. Santiago Caputo and his whole team are handling that hard line of the President’s and now they’re making us all choose. It’s like a kind of ‘second stage’, but a political one, beyond what’s going on in the economy. And there seems to be no room for whoever wants to stop. Oscar (Zago) tried it and look, now he’s going with (Cristian) Ritondo’s team", a deputy who prefers to be nameless to avoid any suspicion about his commitment to Milei pointed out.
As the months have gone by, it is clear that, as is the case with most Presidents, Milei is surrounding himself with sycophants when it comes to making decisions. Thus, those who criticise his adminisration are ousted and banished to ostracism. They can even be accused of corruption, as was the case with Spotorno when the President said he was looking to have privileged information for his consultancy.
“Okay, anyone who doesn’t understand the Milei ecosystem has to go. He hasn’t changed. Those of us with him have always known the way things are. Then there are a lot of paratroopers who will find their place on their own. But anyone in a parachute only falls. They never come back up”, said a Buenos Aires Province deputy.
--TIMES/PERFIL
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