Argentina’s Miley opens Congress praising Trump and attacking the opposition

Buenos Aires — Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milieu opened Congress on Sunday by highlighting his government’s achievements, criticizing the opposition and praising his relationship with US President Donald Trump.

His 90-minute speech was marked by shouting at opposition lawmakers, whom he described as “thieves,” “murderers” and “ignorants,” while he outlined his government’s major achievements over the past year.

Miley’s speech followed a series of legislative victories, including labor reform, lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the Mercosur-European Union trade agreement and early approval of the Glacier Conservation Law.

“This will be one of the most productive extraordinary sessions in our history, fulfilling all the campaign promises made in 2025,” Miley said.

Some of Milei’s key factors include Argentina’s ability to export raw materials and energy, and its strategic location. He stressed the need to maintain rapprochement with the United States, highlighting the success of financial aid provided by Washington last year and pointing to the “special relationship” he has with Trump, whom he described as a “key ally.”

“We need to create the American century. Make America great again,” Miley added.

He argued that Argentina possessed critical minerals demanded by the West and underscored the country’s strategic location with access to two oceans and proximity to Antarctica. “We are a natural link in the West’s strategic value chain,” he asserted.

Throughout the speech, however, Miley repeatedly clashed with opposition lawmakers, calling them corrupt and thieves and targeting former left-wing president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who is in prison on corruption charges.

Milley won a decisive victory in Congress on Friday after the passage of a labor reform bill that would radically change the job market and was opposed by left-wing parties and the country’s main labor union.

Juan Negri, director of the political science program at the University of Torquato de Tella, told The Associated Press that Miley appeared more forceful on the legislative front.

“We have found significant support for him and through his allies, with an unprecedented parliamentary majority in 2023,” he said.

Miley took office in 2023 with the opposition hoping to oppose liberal reforms promoted by his party, La Libertad Avanza, which at the time was the third-largest bloc in both houses of Congress. During the first months of his term, the president had strong conflicts with the legislative branch, which he called a “rat’s nest” for obstructing his initiatives.

In the 2025 legislative elections, the right-wing Republican Proposal, or PRO, allied with the party La Libertad Avanza, secured its seat in both chambers and secured the one-third majority needed to override presidential vetoes in Congress.

The government has consolidated the support of previously more reserved or critical allies, including some PRO members, “who are now fully aligned with the ruling party,” said Gustavo Marangoni, a political scientist and director of the Economics, Finance and Public Opinion Consultancy in Buenos Aires. & R. Associados.

Marangoni explained that Miley benefited from several provincial governors who, regardless of their political affiliation, recognized the advantages of negotiating with the national government.