Argentina: Milei encounters first adverse reactions to its adjustment plans

The elected president of Argentina, Javier Mileiencountered the first resistance from unions and public media owners to its adjustment plan that includes privatizations and the drastic reduction of public spending.

Several union members reacted negatively on Wednesday to the far-right economist’s plan for Aerolíneas Argentinas to pass into the hands of its employees and promote the “open skies” market to increase free competition with all airlines that want to come to the country.

“If they want to load Airlines they are going to have to kill us and, when I say kill, they are literally going to have to load dead people,” said Pablo Biró, head of the Airline Pilots Association (APLA), to the radio station Nacional Rock. .

The day after his resounding victory in Sunday’s runoff, the leader of La Libertad Avanza announced in different journalistic interviews his intention for public companies, including several communication companies and the oil company YPF, to pass into private hands.

Regarding the flag airline—which is loss-making—Milei pointed out that “it has very qualified personnel and profitable business units and it must be left to the employees,” who “in a context of increased competition are going to expel the employees.” “who dedicate themselves to politics instead of working.”

Alberto Benegas Lynch, elected representative of La Libertad Avanza and very close to the president-elect, pointed out in this regard that “it is not conceivable that someone would pay for the losses of Aerolíneas Argentinas when in their life they are going to get on a plane” and that the objective “ “It is giving it to the employees and basically it is privatizing it.”

Biró warned that Congress is the one that must determine whether the company passes into the hands of a cooperative and stressed that “Aerolíneas belongs to all Argentines, it does not belong to the workers, much less the unions, not to mention a political group.”

Despite his energetic reaction, the union member was also open to dialogue with the future government and said that the company can be “surplus immediately.”

Meanwhile, Edgardo Llanos, general secretary of the Aeronautical Personnel Association (APA), stated that the company “without contributions from the State cannot function, cannot compete.”

“Each flight is $20,000 one way and $20,000 return, on domestic flights; We have 320 flights per day and it would be impossible for workers to sustain this without the State’s contribution. Today Airlines flies because the State supports it,” Llanos remarked.

Currently, the Argentine airline market has different competitors, but critics of its operation point out that subsidies to the flag airline threaten competition on equal terms.

Criticism has also emerged from the headlines of Radio and Television Argentina and the official news agency Télam, who warned that public media “are essential for the strengthening of democratic life, free expression, the diversity of voices and citizen construction” after Milei announced that it also plans to privatize them.

They also recalled that “the public service mandate” for media such as Public TV, National Radio or Télam is established by law.

In a gesture to calm things down, at least institutionally, the former center-left president and current vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, received her successor in office, Claudia Villarruel, in the Senate on Wednesday.

“It was a historic meeting for all Argentines,” highlighted the vice president-elect after the conclave. “It will be an orderly and respectful transition. Everything has been democratic, cordial.”

On the side of the Peronist leader, the official account of the Senate on the social network

Fernández de Kirchner, who governed the country from 2007 to 2015, did not comment on her social accounts. There was also no photo of the meeting.