Milei’s Argentina threatens to undermine the final G20 communiqué and impose a setback on the Lula government

Argentina’s participation in the G20 is becoming a significant obstacle to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) plans, putting at risk the successful holding of the global leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro. The possibility of not having an official statement at the end of the meeting represents a political setback for Lula, who is already facing challenges in his relationship with Argentine president, Javier Milei. Under the leadership of the ultraliberal leader, Argentina has requested the reassessment of several issues and backed away from its support for the proposal to tax the super-rich. This change in stance suggests that the country can block agreements unilaterally, creating a scenario of tension in negotiations.

Milei has also raised controversial issues, such as multilateralism, gender, sustainable development and taxation of large fortunes. The Argentine delegation has been inflexible in discussions, seeking to veto topics or change the wording of statements. This resistance is worrying, especially considering that Lula and Milei have opposing ideological views and there is no evidence of constructive dialogue between them. French President Emmanuel Macron offered to mediate and try to persuade Milei to adopt a more collaborative stance.

Argentina is seeking to remove references to sexual violence and femicides from the final communiqué, demonstrating an approach that prioritizes vetoes rather than presenting constructive proposals. This strategy has raised concerns about the effectiveness of negotiations. In addition to tensions between Brazil and Argentina, the geopolitical scenario is complicated by a dispute between the United States and Russia, as well as divisions on financial and climate issues. Expectations for the results of the negotiations are low.

*Report produced with the help of AI