Author: Techub Hotspot Express
Interview Media: Todo Noticias
Organizer: Tia, Techub News
Editor's Note: The controversy surrounding Argentine President Javier Milei and the LIBRA token incident has not yet subsided. From his public endorsement of the project to the widespread attention sparked by the tweet controversy, a complex political and economic game is unfolding in Argentina. Meanwhile, the flow of funds involved in the incident, the range of participants, and the subsequent public opinion reactions gradually reveal the intricate insider details. In an interview, President Milei candidly addressed the related controversies and expressed profound insights into the current state of Argentina's economy and political situation. This interview not only covers the background and consequences of the LIBRA token incident but also reveals the strategic thinking and challenges faced by the Milei government in a complex political environment.
Johnny: Mr. President, thank you very much for accepting this interview during such a turbulent time. First, I would like to ask you to explain the current situation.
President Milei: This interview was scheduled two or three weeks ago, and promises must be kept. I have nothing to hide, so I can face this openly. I understand that at times, politicians may choose to avoid issues, but I have nothing to conceal, so I am happy to discuss it.
I believe promises must be fulfilled. Especially during controversial times, avoidance is not a solution. I think transparency is crucial. Do you know what will ultimately happen? The truth will always come to light, and all the evidence will emerge. You will see the sordid and pathetic aspects of traditional politics. They are nervous now because polls show we are far ahead, and the economy is clearly recovering. If our economic growth rate reaches at least 7% when the second quarter data is released, inflation drops to 1%, and the poverty rate falls below 35%, they will be even more anxious. Because they know that if this government does well, their status will be gone. So they will stop at nothing to undermine us.
Johnny: Can you explain what happened with the LIBRA token?
President Milei: Of course. When you see those entrepreneurs related to digital technology, artificial intelligence, and system development, you will find that most of them are in an abnormal economic state. Due to the mismanagement of Argentina over the past 100 years, there is no mature capital market. Many of them only declare the minimum income, so they cannot obtain financing. In the U.S., you can fund these projects through venture capital; even if only one project succeeds, investors can get a return. But in Argentina, this situation does not exist. So when someone proposed to me to establish a structure to fund these entrepreneurs, I thought it was an interesting idea. We are very committed to promoting technology and artificial intelligence, and I believe this is a good way to help those who cannot obtain financing.
Johnny: What was the deal with the LIBRA promotional tweet you posted on Friday?
President Milei: When the Libra project was made public, I promoted it because I thought it could help Argentinians in need of financing. My tweet was meant to raise awareness about the project.
Johnny: Do you regret posting that tweet? Because you later deleted it.
President Milei: I do not regret it; let me explain.
After I posted the tweet, rumors started spreading that my account had been hacked.
That is false; I have nothing to hide.
I posted the tweet because I am passionate about technology, and I thought it was a good opportunity to help entrepreneurs. But when I saw the negative comments increasing, I decided to delete the tweet.
I usually do not delete tweets, but this time I chose to retract it.
Johnny: Over 40,000 people invested in this project, involving more than $80 million, and many suffered heavy losses. What do you have to say to them?
President Milei: First, I want to clarify that there were not actually 40,000 participants; many of them were bots. The real participants were probably only around 5,000, and most of them are highly specialized investors who know exactly what they are doing. These people voluntarily participated and are very aware of the risks. It's like going to a casino; you know you might lose money, but you still choose to participate. This is a transaction between individuals, and the state was not involved.
Johnny: Do you think you made a mistake in this matter?
President Milei: Given the circumstances at the time, I do not think I made a mistake. I acted with good intentions, hoping to help those entrepreneurs who cannot obtain financing. But in hindsight, I may need to learn some lessons from this.
Johnny: What have you learned from this?
President Milei: I realized that as president, I need to be more cautious. I initially thought I could remain open and transparent as before, but now I understand that I need to set up more filtering mechanisms and cannot let just anyone approach me.
Johnny: You mentioned setting up filtering mechanisms; can you elaborate on that?
President Milei: For example, I need to ensure that those who propose ideas to me go through strict screening. Someone like Davis, I met through Noveli, who organized that tech conference where I met many interesting people. At the time, I thought it was a great opportunity, but now it seems I need to be more cautious.
Johnny: Do you think this incident has affected your international reputation?
President Milei: I do not think so. Because this is a technology-related incident, it has its dynamics. My reputation comes from fulfilling promises, such as stopping currency issuance, reducing inflation, and achieving a fiscal surplus. These are the things that truly earn me credibility.
Johnny: What do you think about the calls for impeachment?
President Milei: This is the seventh time someone has called for my impeachment. Interestingly, those calling for my impeachment, like the Kirchnerists, have many issues of their own that they have not explained. For example, they have never explained where the $60 billion from the Santa Cruz fund went. Now they come to ask me for explanations, which I find very ironic.
Johnny: You mentioned that the Kirchnerists have many issues; can you specify?
President Milei: For instance, they once tried to take $10 billion from the central bank for campaign activities, which led to the dismissal of Martín Redrado. They also caused a loss of $25 billion through the dollar futures market. These are significant mistakes from their time in power. In contrast, the adjustments we have made are the largest in history, but we have successfully reduced inflation, and the economy is starting to recover.
Johnny: You mentioned that the Kirchnerists have many issues, but you are also facing impeachment pressure. Do you think this call for impeachment is different from previous ones?
President Milei: The difference this time is that those calling for my impeachment have many unresolved issues themselves. For example, they have never explained where the $60 billion from the Santa Cruz fund went. Now they come to ask me for explanations, which I find very ironic.
Johnny: Last Friday, when you called Davis, did you discuss what was happening here?
President Milei: My reaction at the time was that in the face of this situation, I needed to remain calm. If there are any doubts, I would choose to step back and protect myself.
Johnny: Was that tweet written by you?
President Milei: Yes, but at the time, rumors were spread that my account had been hacked. That is false; I was not hacked. So I fixed that tweet to prove it was posted by me. But later, seeing the increasing negative comments, I decided to delete it. I usually do not delete tweets, but this time I chose to retract it.
Johnny: Will you reduce your tweeting, or will you continue to use Twitter (X) as before?
President Milei: I am a fanatic; I will continue to use Twitter. I am not sure what I will do, but what I am clear about is that I will enhance the filtering mechanisms to decide who can approach me.
Johnny: Have you talked to your sister Karina about this? What does she think?
President Milei: No, I do not talk to my sister about it.
Johnny: Have you decided not to live as you did before, not to allow people to approach you so easily?
President Milei: Yes, we have decided not to live as we did before. We understand that our roles must have filtering mechanisms. We want to continue living like ordinary people, but reality does not allow it.
Johnny: This is about the atmosphere of social media. I am not sure if people really care about this mess?
President Milei: That is why you need to look at people's reactions. If you are in a complex situation, like not being able to go out on the street, we do indeed cause some trouble for security personnel. A few days ago, I went to Federico's department with Nick. When I left, I had to throw some things in the trash. I found a place where no one was around to throw it away, but later many people came over to take selfies with me. I have to accept that life cannot be as simple as it used to be.
Johnny: Sometimes you don't realize you are the president.
President Milei: I do not see myself as the president; I see this as a job. My job description is to reduce inflation, decrease insecurity, and promote economic growth. These are all my goals.
Johnny: In the bill, participating in cryptocurrency-related fraud is an extremely serious crime; this is an unprecedented scandal. Our House faction has decided to push for a political trial against the president.
President Milei: Then go ahead. In fact, I have already asked the anti-corruption office to investigate all of us, including myself. We have a team looking into this issue.
Johnny: Be prepared; they will unite various forces against you.
President Milei: You know, Johnny, we are ending the various chaos in Argentine politics. Argentina has experienced a real Ponzi scheme that has reduced this country from one of the wealthiest in the world to nearly 60% of the population living in poverty today. That is the reality. The reason we are making expansionary adjustments is that we are targeting the government system, which will alleviate the political burden.
I mentioned a leak of information before I became a candidate. We made adjustments for this, but it is not a recessionary adjustment because we returned the money to the private sector. In fact, I am not afraid of this because I am doing what the Argentine people have asked me to do, but the problem lies with them. Because we are entering the election process this year, based on current data, the economy has grown by 78%, and inflation is at 1%. They know they have no chance, so the maintainers of the status quo will fight back. Besides, listen, first of all, they are politicians; that is the first point. If you like peaches, you have to accept the fuzz on top; if you enter this field, you have to know these things. The second point is that Argentine politicians are ruthless. The third point is that I have been fighting against them, starting with exposing the truth and continuously cutting their interests, and these people are gnashing their teeth at me, so they will seize any opportunity to go after me.
You are ending all the courses of politics, ending Argentina's real Ponzi scheme. This scheme has turned Argentina from a wealthy country into one with a poverty rate close to 60%. The reason we are making expansionary adjustments is that we are placing the adjustments on the state, on the political corruption.
Johnny: Is this a wrong move?
President Milei: Well, in the face of all the attacks, I must reassess some things.
Johnny: Senator Lutón?
President Milei: He is the one at 1:25, and this has nothing to do with raising taxes.
Johnny: This is fraud. I got confused; there is a fraud equivalent to 12 López packages here.
President Milei: But if there is fraud, let the judiciary prove it. The problem is, compared to López, he is strong. Lutón must create some effective slogans; why doesn’t he calculate all the money he could have stolen from Argentinians? Every time he raises his salary by voting, why doesn’t he calculate all the damage he has caused to Argentinians?
Johnny: You mentioned the guillotine; whose head will Karina's guillotine chop off?
President Milei: If the judiciary proves there is a need for heads to roll, then let it be, without a doubt.
Johnny: Do you not doubt that someone in the government has made a mistake?
President Milei: No, I do not doubt in principle. If the judiciary later tells me someone made a mistake, then I will accept it.
Johnny: Andrés Siro from Lice stated that they have too many lies, too much cryptocurrency, too much freedom. What happens when you clash with artists or certain artists?
President Milei: I have no animosity towards artists. In fact, I would celebrate through art. I used to have a rock band, so I do not oppose artists. What I am saying is, if you are an artist, you should make a living by providing your product, not by relying on state subsidies. If you need state subsidies to live, then you are a public servant. If you also become a tool for political propaganda, then you are doing politics, not art.
Johnny: Why is Lali doing politics?
President Milei: Wasn’t she funded by Quintela? Wasn’t she funded by that person on the yacht?
Johnny: Quintela? Is he the government of La Rioja?
President Milei: Yes, he did some performances for that person on the yacht.
Johnny: But does Lali Expósito need state funding?
President Milei: Mainly because she did those performances, yes.
Johnny: What about María Becerra?
President Milei: She also surprised me. She went to a state-funded place and then criticized the state. The worst part is, she lied about the fire situation.
Johnny: About the fire situation.
President Milei: Yes, during the Kirchnerism period, the fire was handled very poorly. We reorganized all the work related to fire management. Moreover, the state and provincial governments acted together to provide financial support for those who lost their homes. She is spreading lies and using lies to criticize us.
Johnny: But did you handle it well? I am not sure who the Deputy Minister of Environment is; Adorni said a few days ago that he has not been appointed. He said there were mistakes in fire prevention.
President Milei: Well, that may be his viewpoint. He may be misinformed or made a mistake.
Johnny: Will you eventually appoint that deputy minister?
President Milei: If the person in charge wants to continue in office, I have no problem. My direct contact is with the ministers. I will not appoint anyone because if I appoint your secretary, what will you do?
Johnny: So let me form the team.
President Milei: Well, but you must understand that if I ask for results and you do not achieve them, I will fire you. You appoint the team you want; I will not interfere.
Johnny: Are you not worried about the wave of violence in Buenos Aires Province?
President Milei: In a federal country, who is responsible for education, health, and security?
Johnny: The provincial government.
President Milei: Yes, so these security issues are the responsibility of Kichilov. As the President of Argentina, I am concerned about the situation in Buenos Aires Province. But the problem is, Kichilov is part of the problem, not the solution. He follows Zafaroni's doctrine, treating criminals as good people and victims as bad people. We follow Julian's doctrine: those who commit crimes are punished.
Johnny: Is Macri part of the problem or part of the solution?
President Milei: In what aspect?
Johnny: In terms of the political leadership of the country.
President Milei: When he needed help, he helped. Now he will help too.
Johnny: What is your relationship with him?
President Milei: The last time I messaged him was on his birthday. I have no fundamental disagreements with him. If everyone thinks the same way, then no one is really thinking.
Johnny: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to reach a strong agreement with the Libertarian Progress Party?
President Milei: My goal is 10.
Johnny: You want a 10?
President Milei: Yes, my goal is 10.
Johnny: Patricia Bullrich, she is a candidate in the city.
President Milei: I think she is doing very well. If she becomes a candidate, she will sweep everything.
Johnny: But would you lose her as a minister?
President Milei: It depends on Patricia's willingness. She has already said she does not want to run, and I am very satisfied with her work as a minister.
Johnny: You could let her do both things at the same time.
President Milei: Yes, she can be where she wants to be.
Johnny: Will you submit a spontaneous declaration?
President Milei: Legal issues are not my expertise; I should not disclose these in advance. Our Minister of Justice will handle these.
Johnny: Will you continue to push the "Clean Records" bill?
President Milei: Yes, we have made a commitment. We have submitted the bill, and the House of Representatives has passed it; now we need to see the Senate. We will strive for its passage.
Johnny: President, thank you for spending over an hour discussing all topics, especially regarding the Libra issue.
President Milei: You are welcome. I believe the Argentine people should be completely reassured that I have always acted with good intentions and will continue to do so. Because the truth will eventually come to light.
Johnny: Thank you, President.
President Milei: Thank you, Johnny.
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