They say in Casa Rosada that Javier Milei began the day of the CGT strike "with great calm."
The President decided to follow his agenda from the Quinta de Olivos, as he usually does when he does not meet with his Cabinet, but he headed
the strategy that the Government outlined to confront the unions:
the idea was to differentiate the union leaders from “the majority of the Argentines” who, as the Executive understands, “want to work and have a normal and peaceful day.”
Although the Government lamented the economic losses that the strike will entail (unofficially they spoke of about 1.5 billion dollars), they warn that it will serve to make clear
"those who oppose taking away privileges from the caste"
and "keeping this Argentina from decadence." ”.
According to official sources, the President considers that the measure of force will accentuate the bad image that union members have in society.
"The strike
will be useful for citizens who can clearly identify who is in favor of a modern and thriving Argentina and those who want to maintain the status quo," he told a collaborator,
Clarín
learned .
Deputies K Germán Martínez, Leopoldo Moreau and Eduardo Valdés in the strike against Milei.
Photo Juano Tesone.
Active on social networks, the head of state was in charge of replying to some questions against the union members on Twitter.
And on Instagram he shared an image published by the cartoonist Nik, which includes a drawing of Argentine workers raising the Argentine flag, representing "the new Argentina of work and effort" and with a legend in code for opposition sectors: "There is a change of paradigm that can no longer be stopped".
From Olivos, where he was stationed to monitor the Government's reaction to the strike,
Milei outlined the roadmap with his small table:
during the morning, he met with his sister Karina, Secretary General of the Presidency, and maintained contacts with the Chief of Staff, Nicolás Posse, his star advisor Santiago Caputo and the Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello, who has the Labor area under her orbit.
Video
After noon, the Buenos Aires governor arrived at the rally accompanied by journalist Roberto Navarro.
Also with the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, whom according to Executive sources he plans to receive in the afternoon at the presidential residence.
The PRO leader was one of the voices authorized to lead the media battle with the unions and from early on she launched harsh questions: "No one corners us, much less a march of 40 thousand people, when there are 8 million people who want to work Those who are going to go to the march are 0.5 percent. It doesn't exist..."
Among "those who resist the change that society decided democratically," Bullrich grouped
"mafioso unionists, poverty managers, complicit judges and corrupt politicians."
And he pointed to the inaction that the CGT showed during the government of Alberto Fernández, which they did not challenge with forceful measures despite high inflation: "They repeat history permanently to try to make governments weaken. But with us they are not going to do it. achieve".
The Albertista Santiago Cafiero in the strike against Milei.
Photo Juano Tesone.
The crusade was followed by Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, in similar terms:
"The strike has no justification. Called by the oligarchy of millionaires with armored cars and drivers,
false representatives of the workers, it confirms that we are on the right path. Things are achieved with effort, not crying and kicking. We are not afraid of them.
And even
the Minister of Economy, Luis "Toto" Caputo,
who usually stays out of disputes, dismissed himself when alluding to the presence of the Buenos Aires governor, Axel Kicillof.
"In case there was any doubt, @Kicillofok also joins in. It has never been so clear to society that we are facing a political strike for touching their privileges."
The announcement of the CGT strike in just 18 days generated a change in the link that the Government was seeking with the unions.
In fact, as this newspaper reported, during the first weeks at Balcarce 50 the "constructive" attitude of the unionists was contrasted with that of the picketers.
And even Milei himself was credited with a conciliatory phrase with the leadership of the workers' union, of which he considered that "no" was "part of Argentina's problems": "They do see it," he repeated, distinguishing them in the middle. of references to social movements and Kirchnerist leaders.
At that time, the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Francos, and the Secretary of Labor, Omar Yasín, were leading the dialogue with the Cegetista leadership that seemed to be successful: there
was even a rapprochement with the truck driver Hugo Moyano.
But between the labor reform promoted in the mega DNU and the omnibus law, the CGT decided to speed up the call for a strike that the Government highlighted that it had promised not to do "until March" and ended up breaking relations.
Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni was forceful this Wednesday when predicting whether there is room for this situation to get back on track: "To find a way of dialogue today with people, who are still a minority sector and try to complicate the lives of the rest of the Argentines, it is difficult. You cannot dialogue with those who do not want the country to move forward."