Highlights: Argentina: Javier Milei's crusade against “cultural Marxism”. The ultraliberal Argentine president sees himself as the spearhead of a battle against feminism, environmentalism and anti-racism. Last week the Argentine president attacked Lali Esposito, a 32-year-old actress and singer very popular in Latin America, accusing her of "starving children" The president announced this week the closure of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism in Argentina, Inadi.

In Argentina, new President Javier Milei has launched a crusade against what he calls “cultural Marxism.” The ultraliberal Argentine president sees himself as the spearhead of a battle…

Argentina: Javier Milei's crusade against “cultural Marxism”

In Argentina, new President Javier Milei has launched a crusade against what he calls “cultural Marxism.”

The ultraliberal Argentine president sees himself as the spearhead of a cultural battle against feminism, environmentalism and anti-racism, which he believes threaten Western values.

President Javier Milei participated on Saturday February 24, 2024 at CPAC, the American Conservative Convention in Washington.

Getty Images via AFP - ANNA MONEYMAKER

By: RFI Follow

with our correspondent in Buenos Aires,

Théo Conscience

As part of this cultural battle, the Argentine president announced this week the closure of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism in Argentina, Inadi.

According to

Javier Milei

, Inadi, the acronym of this organization, is useless and has transformed into an organ of political persecution serving the proponents of “single thought”.

pic.twitter.com/H6ZyEsSNRh

— Ministerio de Justicia (@jusgobar) February 22, 2024

For Javier Milei, this unique thought is supported by organizations such as the São Paolo forum, which brings together Latin American left-wing political parties or by the United Nations through the

2030 Agenda

which sets development objectives in terms of poverty reduction,

gender equality
and

the fight against climate change.

Read alsoIn Argentina, scientists are alarmed by “unprecedented attacks on research”

The Argentine president believes that these values are at the origin of the decadence of his country and the West, and intends to fight them in the name of liberalism and capitalism, which according to him are “

morally superior

” ideologies.

This is what he explained

at the Davos economic forum in January

, and this is what he repeated again yesterday, Saturday, in Washington during CPAC, the Convention of American Conservatives in Washington, at which he assists.

The former American president also exchanged a long hug with Javier Milei during this convention.

📢 Donald Trump: “A señor.

El es MAGA: Make Argentina Great Again.

El dijo: soy MAGA.

Well we can do it well: Javier Milei.

Much gracias Javier Milei”.

pic.twitter.com/WJUdv2K8V7

— Tv Pública Libertaria (@Tv_Libertaria) February 24, 2024

A “cultural battle” which also pushes him to attack figures of popular culture

Last week the Argentine president attacked

Lali Esposito, a 32-year-old actress and singer

very popular in Latin America, accusing her

of "starving children

" because of her concerts subsidized by public funds.

These attacks against the artist known for her feminist and progressive positions provoked an outcry in Argentina, proof according to Javier Milei that socialists have infiltrated the world of culture, media and universities, and that the cultural battle is more necessary than ever.

This relentlessness against Lali Esposito is reminiscent of that directed against the American singer Taylor Swift by Donald Trump.

Argentinian fans of the American singer took advantage of her

visit to Buenos Aires for concerts last November

, to remind people of Javier Milei's ultraliberal positions.

Also read: “Taylor Swift is not currently a strong political actress”

A calculated political risk?

If he takes risks, they are calculated risks, because with these controversies, the Argentine president occupies the media space, and prevents us from talking about anything else, such as for example prices which have jumped 50% in two months or the

3 and a half million Argentines who have fallen into poverty since his election

When this figure, which is an estimate from the Argentine Catholic University, came out last week, everyone was talking about Javier Milei's attacks against Lali Esposito.

For Javier Milei, this controversy, like that caused by the closure of the National Institute against Discrimination, also functions as a backlash to divert media attention from an increasingly critical social situation.

Also readArgentina: faced with Javier Milei's austerity, the social climate is becoming tense

Argentinian filmmakers are uniting under the banner Cine Argentino Unido to gather in Berlin on Tuesday to raise awareness of the unfolding public funding crisis in the country https://t.co/XZWZc7hUfh https://t.co/deopsiSZst

Argentina: Javier Milei's crusade against “cultural Marxism”

Argentina: Javier Milei's crusade against “cultural Marxism”

A “cultural battle” which also pushes him to attack figures of popular culture

A calculated political risk?

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