Former Argentine President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) advised Colombian President Gustavo Petro not to rely on populist policies implemented decades ago in Argentina because, according to him, they lead to poverty.
“We hope that Petro understands that Argentine (populist) ideas will bring a lot of poverty to Colombians,” Macri told reporters after speaking at the 7th Presidential Dialogue, held in Miami.
Macri commented that Petro’s first statements and campaign proposals “were not the best for the future of Colombia”.
The former Argentine president also defended freedom, institutions and the right to a better life for all Latin American citizens.
“They want to govern us with the State limiting our freedoms. The great challenge for those of us , that we love freedom, is to fight so that our countries can develop”, he argued.
He also highlighted that Argentina has suffered since 2019 the greatest emigration in its history, which is why it defended economic policies to prevent this flow.
“We have to prevent Latin America from continuing to lose its talented citizens who go elsewhere” , warned Macri, after calling for “the defense of the future of young people”.
“I propose to defend our ideas and take control of the public administration. I propose that civil servants come from a career and competition, that they are not political activists”, he declared.
Former presidents Iván Duque (Colombia), Jamil Mahuad (Ecuador ), Jorge Tuto Quiroga (Bolivia), Vicente Fox (Mexico) and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (Costa Rica), as well as the former president of the Spanish government José María Aznar.
Organized by the Mezerhane Endowed Chair Chair, of Miami Dade College (MDC), for the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA), for the Instituto Atlântico de Governo and the “Diario Las Américas”, the forum was opened by the president of the MDC, Madekine Pumariega, and by the vice -Governor of Florida, Jeanette Nuñez.
