The post-electoral events in Venezuela, after Maduro declared himself the winner without showing the documents supporting his victory, only reinforced the lack of institutionalism and the evidence of authoritarianism in Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Following this new and blatant regime assault on Venezuela’s democracy, international repercussions were swift. Leaders from around the world, especially from the region, spoke in favor of transparency and against fraud. Politicians, both from the right and the left, are defending democracy. Among them is Argentine President Javier Milei. 

In response to the Venezuelan regime’s abuses, Milei positions himself in defense of democracy in Venezuela, the separation of powers and respect for institutions, under a highly republican discourse. But the same president who boasts about the need for democracy in Venezuela does not act in line with republican values in his own country. 

Since assuming the presidency, Milei has shown enormous disdain towards the National Congress, delivering his inaugural speech literally with his back to Congress on the building’s steps. In fact, he has repeatedly stated that he would govern with or without the National Congress. 

The Argentine president constantly attacks and insults opposition legislators. Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, which has a small minority in both the lower and upper houses of Congress, needs the support of opposition legislators, yet he refers to them as the “caste,” “fiscal degenerates,” “traitors,” or “criminals,” and threatens to veto any laws they wish to pass that do not align with his libertarian agenda.

Moreover, Milei has chosen Ariel Lijo, a judge who hid dozens of irregularities of corrupt political leaders for years and who does not respect the essential shielding the Judiciary must have from political interests, as a Supreme Court Justice. 

Another profound disregard for democracy was marked by a visit from a group of La Libertad Avanza legislators who attended a prison weeks ago to greet former coup plotters condemned for the genocide of the 1970s during the last military dictatorship in the country; among these genocidaires is Alfredo Astiz, who was the main one responsible for throwing people into the sea from air force planes.

Binary decoding

In Argentina, politics—among other matters—tends to be decoded in a binary mode. But understanding politics and politicians in binary terms often distorts reality. And the distortion of reality makes us live in a world of lies and simulations.

Therefore, when Javier Milei vehemently demands a democratic life in Venezuela, strongly questioning dictator Nicolás Maduro, he presents himself to the world as a champion of the republic. But Milei is not a republican. Milei understands politics in terms of friend-enemy and, within this framework, publicly confronts his “enemies” daily—those who think and have different opinions than him.

The Argentine president frequently gets angry, insults and slanders the media and journalists who do not praise him or think like him. Milei also mistreats opposition artists or social leaders, exposing them on social media, creating a climate of violence and exacerbating polarization in Argentine society.

Meanwhile, to reinforce this simplistic view of politics, Maduro doesn’t get tired of vindicating his Kirchnerist friends, further exacerbating this binary view. And under this basic syllogism, Kirchnerism is framed alongside the undemocratic Maduro, while Milei is erected as a representative of the democratic side. And so, the elemental Argentine binary construction of things is built.

Nicolás Maduro is an anti-democratic leader, a repressor, who has been subjugating millions of Venezuelans for many years. And that Milei confronts and questions him is correct and seems democratic. However, seeming democratic does not mean being a democrat. 

In a binary world, Milei may appear to be a democrat. But in the world of nuances, the real world, Milei does not cease to represent an anti-republican leadership, even though he opposes Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Translated by Ricardo Aceves from the original in Spanish.