The relationship between Spain and Argentina will fall to minimum levels if the ultra-liberal populist Javier Milei wins the Presidency in the third largest economy in Latin America and Pedro Sánchez remains in government, the presidential candidate himself confirmed to EL MUNDO on Thursday.

“Socialists are not defenders of freedom,” said Milei, winner of the recent primary elections with 30% of the vote and favorite to prevail in the general elections on October 22. If he succeeds, on December 10 he will enter the Casa Rosada as president.

Milei, 52, has been explaining that in his eventual government he would uproot trade relations with countries like China and Brazil, which he defines as “socialist” and sometimes “communist.” This Thursday, during a conference before the most powerful businessmen in the country, he spoke again on the subject.

“What do you think if I told you who you have to buy something from or not? Don’t you think that this is an aberration, isn’t it advancing your freedom, your right to property? Well, politicians shouldn’t to do that, they should promote free trade. But, well, it seems that the level of socialism in the blood that some of the political caste have is truly aberrational.”

Shortly after, when EL MUNDO approached the Argentine presidential candidate, the question was whether what he says about China and Brazil is also valid for the relationship with Spain. Milei agreed and explained that “socialists are not defenders of freedom.”

Milei has a very good relationship with Santiago Abascal in particular and Vox in general. She also has the emphatic support of the Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro, the Chilean José Antonio Kast and declares herself an admirer of Donald Trump. He is a harsh critic of Podemos, but also of the PSOE and Pedro Sánchez.

At noon on Thursday at the Alvear Palace, one of the most outstanding buildings in Buenos Aires, a legion of men in dark suits went in and out of the bathroom in a hurry to return to the groups in the French-style corridors, full of people. Several of the most powerful in the country were there, many of the journalists who follow political news were there. And there was Milei, the man of the moment in Argentina. The next president?

His main rival, Patricia Bullrich, candidate of the social-liberal coalition Juntos por el Cambio (JxC), previously spoke before the businessmen at the conference organized by the Council of the Americas, and received several rounds of applause during her speech. This was not the case with MiIlei, who was applauded only at the end and with certain reservations.

“We are defenders of peace, free trade, democracy and above all freedom. Our geopolitical alignment is the United States and Israel. That is our international policy. We are not going to align ourselves with communists. Another thing is that private companies can trade,” he insisted.

The same will be true for Spain if the investiture of Alberto Núñez Feijóo fails and Sánchez later manages to remain in the position he has held since 2018.

“Guys, it’s you! It’s you who have to put Argentina on its feet,” said Milei, fixing her gaze on the businessmen. “I promise to get the State off of you. Boys, break your shackles, get out of mental slavery. Be free, don’t let yourself be scammed,” she added, unsuccessfully seeking the complicity of the audience.

“Or they can remain with the caste of good and low manners. And they will end up poor, miserable, in ruins,” he warned before a packed room. “We were the richest country in the world in 1895, today we are 140”.