President Javier Milei is considering hosting a summit of right-wing leaders in Argentina next year to strengthen alliances and offer a counterbalance to “populist” leaders on the continent.
A senior government source said that Milei is planning to host a joint meeting of like-minded leaders in Argentina next year. Plans are still at an early stage, with no date pencilled in.
The meeting could include talks on the foundation of a new regional bloc and “strengthen the cultural battle in defence of life, private property and freedom,” the source told the agency.
Milei is seen as the “natural leader” of the group, they added.
Reports in local media say Argentina’s President is drawing up a guestlist that includes José Antonio Kast (Chile), Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador) and Santiago Peña (Paraguay). El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele could also be invited.
Any such alliance would seek to counter the influence of the region’s left-wing leaders, including Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela) and Gustavo Petro (Colombia), they added.
During last weekend’s Mercosur summit in Brazil, Milei used his speech at the event to speak of a “new South America” – a reference to recent election results.
“It is up to this bloc to decide whether it will move with this tailwind or cling to the mast of the past to fight against the change our countries need and demand,” said Milei at the gathering of the South American trade bloc.
Milei is one of several right-wing leaders on the continent that have expressed their ideological affinity and alignment with US President Donald Trump.
The Republican leader has, in turn, endorsed several candidates ahead of key elections, including Milei and Honduras’ new president-elect Nasry Asfura.
Asfura was declared winner of Honduras' recent presidential vote on Wednesday, weeks after a tight election marred by delays and allegations of fraud.
Trump had endorsed Asfura before the election.
Milei said on X this week that the Asfura’s victory amounted to "a resounding defeat of narco-socialism."
– TIMES/NA/AFP
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