Friends From Abroad: An Analysis of Javier Milei’s Global Allies
By Graham Nau
In Response to The Specter of Plunder Neoliberalism
In Verónica Gago’s essay, “The Specter of Plunder Neoliberalism,” she introduces us to a specific type of neoliberal agenda which she calls “plunder neoliberalism.” This type of neoliberalism enforces austerity measures in the name of capitalism and in so doing seeks to attack women, the LGBTQI+ community, the poor, and the environment. It emphasizes individualism and self-sufficiency and focuses on bringing men in particular into its coalition. Many of the facets of plunder neoliberalism can be seen in right-wing populist governments around the world, and thus it becomes clear that the phenomenon of Javier Milei’s government is not unique to Argentina alone.
In recent history, we have seen a rise in right-wing populist governments around the globe. Viktor Orbán’s election in Hungary in 2010, Donald Trump’s election in the United States in 2016, and Jair Bolsonaro’s election in Brazil in 2018 are all examples of this right-wing populist wave. Many other politicians with similar ideologies, including Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Marine Le Pen in France, have risen to prominence in recent years. And of course, there is the ongoing presidency of Vladimir Putin in Russia, which is widely known to support and finance the growth of these ideologically similar political leaders and parties. Javier Milei’s agenda of “plunder neoliberalism” as outlined by Gago shares many features with these right-wing populist politicians. Across the board we see a marginalization of women and the LGBTQI+ community, chauvinistic values, and in some cases an attack on the environment as was the case for Bolsonaro’s extractivist policies in the Amazon.
As Gago correctly points out, Milei’s “plunder neoliberalism” has unique characteristics in the context of Argentina; however, it also has many features which can be seen globally in the past, present, and potentially in the future. As the case of Argentina shows, grassroots movements such as the March 8 protests will serve as the best form of repudiation to the global wave of right-wing populists. Argentina is fortunate to still have an active civil society which can and does voice its discontent towards Milei’s policies. Grassroots activism must continue to be active in Argentina and abroad to keep democracy strong and ensure there is a counterbalance to governments that seek to disenfranchise certain groups.
Graham Nau (G’25) is a graduate student in the Master of Foreign Studies program at Georgetown University.
Other Responses
From Plunder Neoliberalism to Conservative Dominance
By: Andrea Casique