In the Brazilian government, the perception is that bilateral relations will end up maintaining their normal course, despite the statements made by Javier Milei during the presidential campaign. He said that his government would not have relations with “socialist” or “communist” governments, indicating that businesspeople would be free to trade with any country, but that his administration would make its own choices.
This Sunday (10), for his inauguration as president, Milei attracted representation from the extreme right. Former president Jair Bolsonaro, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, and the president of the Spanish party Vox, deputy Santiago Abascal, are among Milei’s guests for the ceremony of his arrival at the Casa Rosada. In the Argentine capital, Bolsonaro gave interviews to radio and television stations and took photos with supporters on the Florida Street shopping promenade, in the city center.
But questions arise: will Milei, who changed her campaign speech, suggesting a turn to the traditional right, end up being fed by the extreme right? Is it possible to ‘break’ the relationship with Brazil and China, Argentina’s main partners?
Future Argentine chancellor Diana Mondino has indicated that a breakup is ruled out. This Sunday, she received Brazilian Chancellor Mauro Vieira, representative of the Brazilian government at Milei’s inauguration. Vieira and the Brazilian ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, are the Brazilian authorities who will be at the ceremony. President Lula decided not to come, after Milei’s attacks in the campaign, when he called him ‘communist’ and ‘corrupt’. So far, there is no planned meeting between Lula and Milei, but the expectation is (if Milei ‘retracts’ what he said) that they can meet before the biannual Mercosur meeting, which should be in June in Asunción, Paraguay.
Meanwhile, Mondino has said that Argentina wants to remain in Mercosur and maintain and expand its relationship with Brazil. On behalf of Milei, Mondino supports the bloc’s agreements with other countries – including China, when that time comes. Formed by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia (which has just been integrated into the group), Mercosur has maintained negotiations with other countries and blocs to expand its trade, mainly.
Contrary to expectations and what had already been said during the campaign, Mondino also stated, in the last few hours, that he hopes that the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union will be signed. She maintains frequent dialogue with Brazilian authorities and was in Brasília carrying a letter from Milei to Lula, which she delivered to Chancellor Vieira at Itamaraty.
Between the campaign and this day of inauguration, Milei ‘shelves’ banners such as ‘dollarization’ and ‘dynamiting’ the Central Bank. Over time it will be known whether the international ultra-right party will have weight in its government acts – so far, it has decided to keep several names from Alberto Fernández’s government, in addition to names that were part of the government of former president Mauricio Macri. His government promises to have the look of his A Liberdade Avança (LLA) party, but with the name of other administrations that have already passed through the Casa Rosada. In relation to Brazil and President Lula, the Brazilian government generates confidence that the relationship will not be shaken, even based on what Mondino has said. The peace pipe between Milei and Lula is missing.