Milei makes a bold decision and beheads the Army leadership

2024-01-03 03:50:50

The far-right Javier Milei has just opened an unexpected front of conflict. Due to the collapse in prices that generates social unrest and the call for a general strike by the labor movement, the Argentine president has created a new problem, none other than in the Army. Milei, in his capacity as commander in chief of the Armed Forces, retired 23 generals. The purge, the newspaper noted The nationcaused a “strong negative impact” in that institution. The publication cites sources from the ground weapon who allude to “enormous discomfort.” The beheading has been taken “as an attack on the Army”.

Those who remember look to the moment of the democratic transition, in December 1983, to find a renewal in the military leadership with such a political impact. President Raul Alfonsin He then retired 35 generals, 17 admirals and 9 brigadiers, due to their identification with the dictatorship that had abandoned power in a shameful manner after the defeat by Great Britain for the possession of the Malvinas Islands, in the fall of 1982. In May 2003, Néstor Kirchner, who had taken office with 25% of the votes, displaced 19 generals.

The president’s bold move completes another decision that did not go unnoticed by analysts: the leadership of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was left in the hands of the Air Force and its main authority, Brigadier General Xavier Julián Isaac. Although the leadership of this military body is rotating, the Army is the predominant institution. Isaac has shown his inclination to acquire North American F 16 aircraft and not the Chinese Thunder, as the outgoing Peronist Government negotiated. Isaac was a military attaché in Washington.

“The change in leadership respects a second priority of libertarians: alignment with the United States“said the newspaper Page 12. However, there was no history of negative relations with the Pentagon that would force a measure of such scope. Other analysts point out, however, that the generals who retired had a good relationship with the outgoing Defense Minister, Jorge Taiana, a former political prisoner during the last military dictatorship (1976-83). During his administration, salary improvements were carried out. The new commander of the Army, General Alberto Presti, He has a brother who is part of the right-wing Together for Change. His father, former colonel Roque Presti, was investigated for his alleged participation in crimes against humanity perpetrated almost half a century ago.

The Navy has not emerged unscathed. Its new boss is Rear Admiral Carlos María Allievi. In accordance with The nation between seven and ten admirals could retire. In the Navy there would also be unrest due to the restructuring of command.

Cut point

Milei seeks to establish a cut-off point with respect to the recent past. Her electoral victory had help at the polls from the so-called “military family”. Several retired officers, some of them under trial or arrested, called on the far right to vote on social networks. Vice President Victoria Villarruel is the daughter of a former officer who carried out counterinsurgency tasks and also fought in the Malvinas. An uncle of his has been involved in repressive acts. But Villarruel does not have control of the Defense area, as was supposed. The minister of that area is the preserved Luis Petri, who had been running mate of Patricia Bullrichthe current holder of the Security portfolio.

Thank you very much for such HONOR…!!!
LONG LIVE FUCKING FREEDOM https://t.co/WDOR2Q02ki

— Javier Milei (@JMilei) January 2, 2024

Conflict scenario

The changes in military structures take place at a time when the Government is trying to win the battle in Congress for its Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) with which it seeks to radically modify the productive and legal matrix of Argentina. At the same time, he hopes that the legislature will endorse the laws that deepen the deregulation of the economy. The extreme right assured that they will soon promote other measures of equal transformative scope. Milei tried to explain on Instagram the nature of her shock plan with the image of a Buddha and a provocative dialogue: “Master… why does it hurt me more than before?”, She wants to know a disciple and receives the following response : “Because this time you chose the cure instead of the anesthesia.”

Related news

In addition to sharing the Buddha meme, the president published a quote attributed to the economist Murray Rothbard, founder of the American Libertarian Party in the 70s and great inspirer of the extreme right: “The State will not disappear if we ignore it, nonviolent civil disobedience is useless and has never worked, even unworkable laws must be repealed through political action. On December 30, in his end-of-year message, more than wishing a happy 2024, he threatened Argentines with a “catastrophe of biblical proportions” if his program is not given the green light.

In this context, the Justice allowed the protection presented by the labor movement against the DNU to be dealt with, considering it unconstitutional by trying to limit the right to strike, promote privatization of all public goods and grant the head of state powers to dispense with Parliament. The unions have called for their first protest on January 24.