Miley's rejection of the BRICS countries demonstrates Argentina's new ideological alignment; Read the analysis

I wrote that in my November 26 column Javier Miley That would cut China's growing expectations of Argentina. The new Argentine president took the first step by sending letters to the rulers of the five founding countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation BRICS Knowing that Argentina will no longer join the bloc, as was decided at its last summit in August.

Argentina, as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, were scheduled to enter on the first Monday. “Without prejudice to this, I would like to highlight my government’s commitment to intensifying bilateral relations with your country, in particular increasing trade and investment flows,” Miley wrote to the presidents of Brazil, China, Russia, South Africa and the United States. Prime Minister of India.

It wasn't a surprise. In August, when then-President Alberto Fernández announced Argentina's accession to BRICS, Miley said he would not follow that path if elected: “Our geopolitical alliance is the United States and Israel. We will not side with the communists. This does not mean that the private sector cannot Trade with whoever he wants.

After Miley won the second round, on November 19, economist Diana Mondino, who was then the EU chancellor, reiterated: “We will not join the BRICS, and we do not see any advantage.” Mondino stressed the interest of the new Argentine government in maintaining good diplomatic and trade relations with Brazil.

In the letter, Miley expressed her desire to meet the rulers of the five founding countries of BRICS. He has stated that, as a liberal, he believes in free trade, and that companies, not governments, export and import.

The new chancellor also noted that Argentina wants to expand its diplomatic and trade relations. In this sense, it would be coherent for Milei to seek a radical reduction in the Member States' Common External Tariff (TEC). Mercosur To enable new trade agreements, both within the bloc and bilaterally.

The current TEC rate, at 13% on average, is much higher than the average 4% practiced by the country Organization for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentWhich brings together the most prosperous democracies in the world. A difference of this magnitude makes negotiating free trade agreements very difficult. This was the president's thinking at the time Mauricio Macri (2015-19) Minister of Economy at the time, Paulo Guedesin the short period during which their terms coincided, in 2019. Fernandez and Lola. The very gradual reduction in TEC, which fell by only 1.3 percentage points, was halted.

Throughout 2023, Lula and the head of the New Development Bank, Dilma Rousseff, whom he appointed to office, searched in vain for ways to help the Argentine economy and, with it, the election of Sergio Massa, Fernández's candidate.

The status of the BRICS Bank does not allow financial rescue operations from collapsed countries. As its name suggests, it is a development bank. Therefore, Miley saw Argentina's joining BRICS as what it really meant: a geopolitical move.

The key word for your decision is “alignment.” The choice of the United States and Israel as strategic allies has various reasons. Miley sees the USA as a model economic system.

From the president's point of view, one of the key elements in the conflict between the United States and the “communists” led by China is… Joe BidenEmphasizing the superiority of democracy over authoritarian regimes. One does not see in Miley such an ardent connection to democracy. He and his deputy, Victoria Villarroel, the daughter of a military officer, talk about the Argentine dictatorship (1976-1983) with some complacency.

Hence Miley's clear preference for former President Donald Trump, which best represents his rejection of China: a widespread sense of the superiority of values ​​associated with economic liberalism and moral conservatism.

During his 2021 election campaign for representative, Miley was accused of anti-Semitism, because he referred to his opponents as follows: “Not only do we beat them in productivity, we are morally and aesthetically superior, and the best at everything, and it hurts them.” .

He sought out Julio Goldstein, a political ally with influence over the Jewish community. Goldstein took him to Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish.

They had a “kabbalist” conversation, in which the rabbi touched Miley when he predicted that he would “lead a liberation movement in Argentina,” according to Goldstein.

Miley, who is from a Catholic background, began studying the Torah and wearing the symbols of Judaism. It promises to move the Israeli capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, contrary to international law, which stipulates that the final status of the city, which is militarily occupied by Israel, must be determined in the agreement to establish the Palestinian state.

The main target of Miley's criticism, former President Cristina Kirchner, is accused of trying to cover up Iran's involvement in the attacks that took place in Buenos Aires against the Israeli embassy, ​​in 1992, and against the Argentine Israeli Joint Association (AMIA), in 1994, which amounted to 116 deaths.

As president-elect, Miley visited the grave of Ukrainian Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, one of the greatest Jewish theologians of the 20th century, in New York. He expressed his solidarity with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, also Jewish, whose inauguration ceremony took place in Buenos Aires, and landed in Brasilia only to refuel the plane.

Under China's leadership, BRICS has become home to Brazil under Lula, Russia and, as of Monday, Iran. As we can see, there are multiple reasons that prompted Miley to separate himself from this club, in which Lula worked hard to bring the group into the European Union. Argentina.