The election of Javier Milei, a far-right politician from the Libertarian Party, to be Argentina’s president sent shock waves throughout Latin America in 2023. Many feared that his radical reshaping of the country would throw millions of people into poverty.
Over the past months, these fears have begun to become reality. Milei has devalued the peso and removed government subsidies for public transportation, which most working-class citizens reply upon.
I spoke with Argentine professor and judge Maria Teresa “Marite” Munoz — who was recently elected Secretary-General of the International Peace Research Association, or IPRA — about the recent Argentina elections and the impact on her work.
Please tell us about yourself, and how you became a leader in the field of peace research?
At a very young age, my family and I moved from the town of Clorinda in the province of Formosa, Northeastern Argentina; we moved to the capital city of Buenos Aires. Growing up in a big city like Buenos Aires in a family with a small-town mentality was a permanent negotiation with myself and with the society around me. At the same time, Argentina those days went from one coup d’etat to another, with de facto military governments and an incipient guerrilla movement that grew throughout the 1970s.
As the military governments began to give way to more populist democratic movements, it became more possible for people who simply thought differently. It didn’t matter who you worked for, what you studied or whether you were a factory worker, an office worker, an academic or a researcher. During the military period, things like this could get one “disappeared.” Expressing your ideas and opinions meant living at risk. Conversations, in order to survive, had to be superfluous and trivial. Growing up as a young child, I was convinced that to be president in Argentina, you had to be part of the military!
So, I became interested in anti-military politics and in positive conflict resolution models. Eventually, I became the leader of the Latin American Peace Research Council.
What does conservative-libertarian Javier Milei’s November 2023 election, and the potential implementation of anarcho-capitalist policies, mean for middle- and working-class Argentineans?
Well, we have a society that is divided with a profound division. It seems that between the people that voted for him and the other 44 percent, we have the earth dividing us. For example, in the 44 percent of the society that I belong to, we know we study — we are not a people without education. We are university students; we are professionals. Many of us work for people that need protection, the vulnerable people of society. The other 56 percent … have it all, they’re rich people that want to live better, and they don’t care about the others. They’re more anti-Peronistas — labor and left-leaning followers of the late Juan Peron — than lovers or believers of Milei.
Many of those 56 percent of people voted against [the old government]. Milei was not prepared to be president. He was a creation of the news media. And when [push came to shove, he needed] the ultra-right wing of our country to help him reach the presidency.
All of the people he put in the different ministries were already government ministers in other departments — and they were all disasters! What is worse is that not only is there an economic problem coming, it’s also clear that they don’t believe in human rights. They don’t believe in social justice. Milei said that [these things do not] exist! It’s insane because this idea of social justice has existed since the middle of the 19th century. It was constructed by a priest in Italy, and affirmed by the Catholic Church.
So many people, many of my friends — not only Peronistas but other people (everyone who is not ultra-right wing) — are very sad. We cannot support the situation.
How are left-wing and progressive groups preparing?
They are thinking the same things as the rest of us, but they are a very small group. [Even though] we have many Peronistas on our lists, we are all thinking the same thing: what can we do?
On a more personal note, how difficult will the new government be for you and your family on an economic and political level? Do you think that your job or the work that you do will be under threat?
Things are very difficult. I have a good job but the fluctuations in the value of the peso have made things difficult for everyone. [Before the drop in value] I earned $3,000 a month. Now I earn less than $1,000. Prices of groceries, the gas for the car, and many other things are going up. And our salaries are going down, down, down.
For example, my son: 20 percent of his salary goes just towards transportation.
What impact do you think the election of Milei will have on your own personal peace work, both at home and abroad? And do you plan to do anything differently now?
No, I plan to continue working just as I do now. We do not have to start again. We have to continue speaking and working for peace and justice.
There have been sessions in Congress [with votes to prevent some of Milei’s measures]. But we didn’t reach the number of votes needed to reject his policies — yet. So, we have to continue the work.
Peace is going to come only if all people can [afford to] eat, if people have free studies, if people have public health care. Since the mid-20th century, we have had a university system that is public so that our children do not have to pay. Now Milei’s going [to make it so that] we have to pay. We will protest and fight for our rights and for peace.
Founded in 1964 to advance research on the conditions of peace and the causes of war and violence — with five regional associations covering every corner of the planet — the International Peace Research Association (IPRA) is the world’s most established multi-disciplinary professional organization in the field of peace, human rights and conflict studies.
Waging Nonviolence partners with other organizations and publishes their work.
I really appreciate Michael’s shrewd interview with this Argentinian leader of the peace and justice forces. He has asked the key questions that folks like us outside that country are contemplating about what this all means. The rise of far-right powermongers worldwide is a serious challenge to the Left to figure out how to combat this phenomenon, and Michael has ably helped us in taking the first step.