Cries of ‘Fascism’ Ring out After Javier Milei Goes Scorched Earth on Socialism in Argentina

Javier Milei caused a political earthquake in November after winning the presidency in Argentina, ending decades of socialist rule. The wild-haired economist got to work immediately after being sworn in, slashing the number of government ministries, including the nation’s gender and diversity bureaucracy. He’s now pushing the ball further down the field, with a sweeping executive order that eliminates many of the more communistic aspects of Argentina’s government.

That comes as the once-wealthy South American country desperately tries to recover from a self-inflicted inflation crisis that has seen prices rise 160 percent in the preceding year. Milei ran on a return to fiscal sanity, including ending the corrupt regime of hand-outs and benefits that the socialist and union leaders had voted for themselves.

Argentine President Javier Milei announced during a national broadcast on Wednesday night the signing of a Necessity and Urgency Decree (DNU), a form of executive order, that would modify or overturn an estimated 350 federal economic policies.

Milei’s executive order targeted nearly every aspect of the Argentine economy – including imports, price controls, health care, sports federations, landlord and tenant policies, and the yerba mate industry – in what he described as an attempt to impose a “shock stabilization plan” to prevent a financial catastrophe. Argentina is facing the worst economic crisis of its history as a result of decades of socialist policies, lavish government spending, and corruption, fueling skyrocketing rates of poverty, joblessness, and inflation. The nation’s inflation rate reached 160 percent in the days after Milei’s December 10 inauguration.

Things like price controls have long been a staple in Argentina, and they’ve been an absolute disaster (just as they have been in every other country throughout history). Protectionist trade policies have also led to increased prices because of a lack of competition in the market (while allowing the left-wing unions to cash in). Also targeted are landlord policies that have forced owners to allow delinquent tenants to stay while limiting what they could charge for rent.

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