Amid an economic crisis, Argentina's Milei made 9 trips abroad in less than 7 months

Since taking office less than seven months ago, Argentine President Javier has traveled abroad nine times.

The United States - where President Joe Biden refused him a meeting all four times he visited - was his main destination, and few of these trips were taken for reasons of state.

Milei, 53, has traveled abroad more than any other Argentine president in his or her first six months. In total, he has spent 38 days away - which averages out to one for every five days of his administration.

These international tours have likewise broken with the tradition of starting with Brazil - Argentina's largest neighbor and trading partner - and have also ignored the other neighboring countries, focusing almost exclusively on the United States and Europe.

Frequent flyer

The majority of these trips - the first five alone cost taxpayers a reported $218,000 - were, moreover, taken to meet with right-wing CEOs (none of whom have announced investments in Argentina), CPAC, and to collect right-wing accolades such as medals from the Hayek Society (Hamburg) and the Ayn Randian Atlas Network-linked Juan de Mariana Institute (Madrid).

An award last week from the pro-market Liberal Institute of Prague led to scandal when, according to its director, Martin Pánek, the award was bestowed by a dissident group and not by the institute's authorities.

Meanwhile, Milei's far-right administration - which has ruled solely by decree until just this Friday - has imposed deep cuts on pensions, provincial revenue sharing, federal payrolls, subsidies, and other social spending such as soup kitchen victuals and chemotherapy drugs - which few Argentines can afford.

Argentina's economy shrank by 5.1% in the first quarter from a year earlier, and unemployment jumped from 5.7% in the fourth quarter to 7.7% - with over 10% of the country's population falling into income poverty.

At: https://www-nueva--ciudad-com-ar.translate.goog/notas/202406/54160-en-medio-de-la-crisis-economica-milei-hizo-9-viajes-al-exterior-en-menos-de-7-meses.html?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Argentina President Javier Milei arrives at Ezeiza International Airport, outside Buenos Aires, on his return from a January trip to the Davos Economic Summit.

This was one of only two foreign trips out of nine (in six months) taken by Milei that did not involve meeting with right-wing CEOs, CPAC, authoritarian heads of state, or collecting a right-wing prize.

Milei has meanwhile presided over the most severe recession since the 2020 global Covid shutdown.