In the midst of a financial crisis and political divisions in South America, Argentine politicians are attempting to bypass President Javier Milei’s decisions in order to achieve their goals and form a stronger opposition.
On March 21st, the governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, had a video conference meeting with the leadership of the New Development Bank (NDB). Dilma Rousseff, the former president of Brazil and current president of the NDB, was also present at the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was not just to discuss business and investments.
Roussef is a prominent and highly respected member of the Workers Party, which was founded and led by the Brazilian President, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. Kicillof, on the other hand, is closely associated with the ‘Kirchenerism’ movement, which is the most influential faction of the Argentine left. The movement was initiated by former Argentine President, Nestor Kirchner, and his wife, Cristina.
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Axel Kicillof served as Argentina’s Minister of Economy from 2013 to 2015, during Cristina Kirchner’s administration. Kicillof’s connection to the New Development Bank (NDB) comes in the absence of Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, who has decided not to join the BRICS group. Milei’s predecessor, Alberto Fernández, also aligned with Brazil’s Lula, invited Milei to join the BRICS along with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ethiopia, Iran and Egypt. All of these countries eventually joined, adding a “+” to the BRICS name.
Nos reunimos por videoconferencia con @dilmabr, presidenta del Nuevo Banco de Desarrollo de los BRICS, para analizar nuevas oportunidades de inversión en la provincia.
Fortalecer los lazos con el organismo es fundamental para seguir dando respuestas y transformar la vida de los… pic.twitter.com/UFde4Pmxgq
— Axel Kicillof (@Kicillofok) March 21, 2024
Kicillof tweeted that, “Strengthening ties with the organisation is essential to continue providing answers and transforming the lives of the people of Buenos Aires”, regarding the meeting.
Neither the Buenos Aires Province nor the NDB (New Development Bank) have shared any specifics about the topics discussed during their meeting, or any potential future investments the bank might make in Argentina. BGTN attempted to reach out to both institutions for comment, but received no response.
According to the Argentine press, the meeting was held weeks after the country’s current Minister of Economy, Carlos Guberman, met with the leaders of provinces and allowed them to seek investment from external parties for public projects.
