How's it going in Javier Milei's Argentina?

Milei, Argentina's self-described libertarian president, notched his first legislative victory last week. Argentina's Senate passed a major omnibus bill, also known as the "Bases Law", that's been debated since February.

It would further deregulate the labor market, privatize national industries, cut taxes for foreign companies investing in Argentina, and hand emergency powers to Milei.

Because Milei's party controls seven out of 72 Senate seats, the bill only passed with a lot of compromise and a tie-breaking vote by the vice president, and it could get pared down even more by the lower chamber before reaching the president's desk. Nevertheless, the proposed changes were dramatic enough to inspire large, raucous, and destructive protests outside of the National Congress building during the debate.

Reason's Zach Weissmueller was in Argentina last week during that debate shooting a forthcoming documentary. While there, he attended a conference jointly hosted by the Cato Institute and Libertad y Progreso, a libertarian think tank. Milei gave a keynote speech there, following a warm-up act by Elon Musk.

This week's guest, Ian Vasquez, is vice president of international studies at Cato and an organizer of that conference. Vasquez joined the show to share a thorough update on the political and economic situation in Argentina since Milei's inauguration.

Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher.

Sources referenced in the conversation:

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
01:27 Conference highlights and keynote speeches
02:36 The broader significance of Milei's presidency
05:17 Milei's popularity and economic lessons
11:31 The Peronist legacy and Argentina's economic crisis
20:35 Milei's economic reforms and achievements
24:31 Challenges and future prospects for Argentina
29:19 Dollarization and central bank policies
38:25 Public opinion and Argentine society's radical shift
40:32 Emergency powers and accusations of authoritarianism
43:53 Argentina's illiberal democracy
46:17 The power of unions
51:00 Protests and government response
54:16 The Nayib Bukele model debate
01:01:43 Drug war and economic focus
01:04:35 Cultural change and individual rights
01:09:40 Libertarian perspective on Milei
01:11:30 What should more people be asking?

Producer: John Osterhoudt

The post Ian Vasquez: What Has Javier Milei Accomplished in Argentina? appeared first on Reason.com.

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