Milei Denies Caputo Exit and Calls Rumors a Betrayal
President Javier Milei made a strong defense of Luis Caputo's management at the Economy Ministry and denied that he is evaluating a replacement. In an interview with radio Mitre, Milei described his relationship with the official as symbiotic and said they have a perfectly aligned vision on the government's economic policy. He dismissed talk of a possible exit as absurd and described attempts to undermine the minister as a betrayal of the country, especially when Caputo is about to negotiate with the IMF managing director.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7]
Milei emphasized that no one in the government questions Caputo, who will travel to Thailand on Tuesday for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He said he sets the guidelines and restrictions on which tools cannot be used, and that when any situation arises, they always have a perfectly aligned vision. He also mentioned that WhatsApp groups were used to circulate rumors and said anyone who sees his relationship with Caputo or the cabinet meetings would have to be completely crazy to think Caputo will leave the government.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7]
The president illustrated their symbiotic relationship with an anecdote from a cabinet meeting. He said the team was working on a measure and, because Caputo has a straightforward decision-making mechanism, discussions are submitted to the team. Caputo thought one way, the whole team another, and he tried to resolve it with a new example, but the team still did not agree. Then they called Milei and he said he would solve it with a metaphor. The team could not believe it because it was the same one Caputo had used, and they said the two always did the same thing.[S1]
Caputo himself used his X account early in the morning to deny a possible departure from the government. In response to a user who harshly criticized and insulted his management, the minister wrote that the user should stay calm because he will not resign, so even people like that user will be able to live in a better country.[S1]
Milei Says He Is "Recontra" Confident of Re-election
A year before the presidential elections, Milei expressed confidence that he will win with a result similar to last year's legislative elections, when La Libertad Avanza consolidated as the fastest-growing force in both chambers of Congress. He said they will fight and believe they will be re-elected, adding that if they did not believe they would win, they would not go to play. He stressed that they are not just convinced but "recontra" convinced. He also predicted that a victory next year would give him a majority in the lower house and leave him a few senators short of quorum in the Senate.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Confident in his re-election, Milei also said the government is already designing everything for 2027 and beyond. He remarked that he does not expect a currency run next year but emphasized that he is prepared to face one. He pointed out that he will have the dollars entering from trade and from the RIGI. He stated that he has 125 billion dollars in his wallet to face a run, and added that so many dollars are coming in today that they generate a natural hedge, meaning they do not need to take on foreign debt. He said so many commercial dollars are entering that what cannot be obtained through financial channels is coming in abundantly from the real side.[S1][S4]
Milei compared the current situation with the 2025 midterm elections, saying the government will arrive at the 2027 elections better prepared. He recalled that last year they could only gather 70 billion dollars and still managed to respond, and that at the last minute the US Federal Reserve provided 2.5 billion. He said they arrived exhausted. He also noted that he had a different Congress then, without veto capacity, and faced seven impeachment attempts and 40 laws voted to try to break fiscal equilibrium. In that context, they were run on for 70 billion dollars and resolved it. Now, he said, they have 125 billion dollars and a Congress where he can defend all measures.[S1]
