Reports indicate that an unprecedented trade and military agreement, bypassing Mercosur, is in the works between Argentina and the United States.
According to Buenos Aires media, Argentine President Javier Milei intends to announce a new pact with the US during his visit to President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida residence.
The Libertarian politician, who has implemented significant cuts to Argentina’s government apparatus since assuming office less than a year ago, arrived at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday for an investor event scheduled to run until Saturday.
In his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) investor summit, Milei is expected to advocate for the formation of a “league of conservative nations,” according to Argentine media reports. He reportedly seeks a pact with the US committing to “freedom of trade and military cooperation.”
Reports suggest that Milei hopes Trump’s recent victory in the US presidential election will facilitate Argentina’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over $44 billion in debt. Economy Minister Luis Caputo has expressed a desire for a $10 million disbursement to bolster Central Bank reserves and eliminate capital controls.
Argentina is keen on strengthening ties between the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and its State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE).
Earlier this week, Milei praised Trump for “copying our model” for slashing government bureaucracy, revealing that his Deregulation and State Transformation Minister Federico Sturzenegger had been in contact with tech billionaire Elon Musk “to see how to deregulate the US economy.”
Trump recently appointed Musk to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an extra-governmental agency mandated with cutbacks and reforms in Washington, with a mandate extending until July 4, 2026. Milei and Musk are reportedly scheduled to meet in Florida.
Milei’s trade pact with the US would deliver a significant blow to Mercosur, the Southern Common Market organization encompassing Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The bloc is currently engaged in negotiations for a trade deal with the EU.
Following his trip to Mar-a-Lago, Milei is slated to host French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday in Buenos Aires, attend the G20 Leaders Summit in Brazil on Monday, and return to Argentina to host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni next Wednesday.
On Thursday, after his conversation with Trump, Milei recalled his delegation from the UN climate conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan.