'We came to change the country,' says President Javier Milei, whose country posted first surplus in nearly 12 years
Argentina's Milei warns WEF to reject socialism, says 'Western world is in danger'
Argentinian President Javier Milei warned attendees of the World Economic Forum to reject socialism and said that Western values and systems are under threat.
Argentina, under newly-elected President Javier Milei, is in the black for the first time in nearly 12 years, as its first monthly budget ended with a surplus of $589 million, at the official U.S. exchange rate.
The country’s economy ministry announced the milestone on Friday, adding the surplus also includes payments on interest accrued on the public debt.
This is "the first (monthly) financial surplus since August 2012, and the first surplus for a January since 2011," the Economy Ministry said, as reported by the Telam news agency.
Since taking office on Dec. 10, Milei has made good on many campaign promises to fundamentally overhaul the historically socialist federal government of Argentina.
ARGENTINA'S POVERTY LEVEL RISES TO 57.4%, MARKING 20-YEAR HIGH
A supporter holds a giant dollar bill with the face President-elect Javier Milei as people start gathering outside National Congress ahead of his inauguration ceremony, Dec. 10, 2023, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Marcelo Endelli / Getty Images / File)
Milei's drastic overhaul of the country's economy is not expected to be a smooth operation, and he has characterized it as financial "shock therapy" that will negatively affect thousands of citizens.
In December, Milei signed a decree outlining his plan to address the country’s financial crisis, which included privatizing state-owned companies.
Argentina has South America’s second-largest economy but is suffering 143% annual inflation, which has caused the country’s currency to plummet.
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President of Argentina Javier Milei (Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images)
The country also has a trade deficit of $43 billion, as well as $45 billion in debt to the International Monetary Fund, with $10.6 billion due to private and multilateral creditors by April.
Milei has reportedly been in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over the debt and vows to balance the public finances this year.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Argentina’s poverty level rose to 57.4% in January, reaching the highest percentage in at least 20 years.
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A sign outside a store reads in Spanish "We accept Dollars" in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Reuters / Tomas Cuesta / File)
Milei’s devaluation of the peso shortly after his inauguration in December, caused poverty levels to worsen.
By the end of the year, the poverty level was 49.5%.
The devaluation of the peso also causes prices of everything to rise.
"Politicians have to understand that the people voted for change and that we are going to give our lives to bring it forward," Milei said on social media. "We did not come to play the mediocre game of politics. We came to change the country."
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
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