Photo: Pepe Mateos.
The Minister of Economy and presidential candidate of Union for the Homeland (UxP)Sergio Massa, challenged the opposition on Monday to make it publicly explicit where they would make an “adjustment” and also demanded “sincerity” in relation to the fate that they would give to public companies in a possible government.
“What they have to say is where they are going to adjust. I would like there to be sincerity when proposing adjustment with repression. That they tell the workers of Aerolíneas, Correo Argentino and Aysa that they are going to close and privatize them. We are going to close Airlines, we are going to close the Post Office, we are going to close the company and we are going to privatize it,” Massa said in statements made to Radio 10.
There, he affirmed that the Executive will continue to impose the “government agenda” to move towards “a country with inclusion, with fiscal order, trade surplus, exchange competitiveness and accumulation of reserves.”
“What we have to do is continue solving problems, trying to solve the difficulties that Argentina has, continue imposing the government agenda,” Massa said in an interview he gave to Radio 10.
Regarding the inauguration of the President Néstor Kirchner (GPNK) gas pipeline in the Buenos Aires town of Salliqueló, Massa remarked that “Savings of almost US$4.2 billion will be generated starting next year”and stressed that “this year it will be US$ 2,000 million less than we were going to spend on imports”.
Union for the Homeland. #GasoductoNéstorKirchner 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/98es4PsxFv
– Union for the Homeland 🇦🇷 (@unionxlapatria) July 9, 2023
All these advances occurred “despite the fact that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said ‘stop or lower the proportion of public investment, reduce the rate of execution of the gas pipeline’, work that was done in 10 months”remarked the head of the Palacio de Hacienda.
Massa also compared the levels of investment between this government and the Macrista administration: “Argentina today has 1.6% of public investment of its budget and in 2019 it had 0.4%.”
“That 1.2 (percentage points of difference) was saved in the Budget on the basis of stopping investing. Stopping investing is less pavement, less sewers, less running water, less transportation subsidy,” the minister pointed out.
“Dialogue is necessary to dialogue with everyone, but with clear convictions”
“Dialogue is necessary to dialogue with everyone, but with clear convictions. I am a type of dialogue and in Congress I demonstrated it. But at one point the dialogue ends because you think differently and that is when you advance on the basis of convictions country that you have in your heart and in your head”, affirmed the minister.
The official highlighted “the effort of all sectors to build a synthesis” and valued that “it served to convey to Argentines that we have to put ourselves in the key of the future and clearly tell them that we have ahead of us the discussion of two projects for the country.”
Photo: Pepe Mateos.
He maintained that “the main responsibility at this time” is to govern and “continue solving problems and the difficulties that Argentina has.”
“My main responsibility today is to be a minister and I have a task that I carry out after 6 pm, which is to be a candidate,” he said.
When asked if he will remain in charge of the Economy portfolio until the end of his term, he replied that this will be decided with President Alberto Fernández and Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. “according to how the context unfolds”.
Meanwhile, he criticized that “the same” who accuse him of “being a dialogueist as a disqualification” are “those who on the other side went through 13 different parties”, pointing to the pre-candidate for president of Together for Change (JxC), Patricia Bullrich.
“Which one is Patricia Bullrich? The one from Montoneros, the one from (Carlos) Menem, the one who was with (Elisa) Carrió, the one who treated (Mauricio) Macri as a criminal?”he wondered and added that he would like “Let there be sincerity in the Bullrich-Milei duo when proposing adjustment with repression.”
Meanwhile, he recalled that both Bullrich and the JxC presidential candidate, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, “are part of the same space and the same scheme when it comes to taking 13% from retirees.”
Photo: Pablo Añeli
“Order is built leading from the State. On Friday we had a mess with businessmen who took people hostage, and we were able to bring order without repressing,” he remarked about the employer lockout suffered by transport.
For Massa, “when they say that order is synonymous with security, in 2011 I was able to demonstrate the 92% drop in crime in my city as mayor,” he said in reference to Tigre. And he added: “The question I ask is, isn’t it better to invest in prevention?”
In addition, he remarked that at UxP “we all believed that the synthesis was the best way to face this stage” and to “demonstrate to the Argentines that in the face of an opposition that is fighting over the charges, we come together to fight for the country”.
Meanwhile, he pondered that he built “a relationship of great respect” with the Vice President and that he maintains a link that “at some point transcends the political” with the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo ‘Wado’ de Pedro. In addition to the fact that he also has a “good relationship” with Deputy Máximo Kirchner.
