Milei assured that 'the region has awakened from the nightmare of 21st-century socialism'

President Javier Milei referred to the recent political changes in Latin America and celebrated the emergence of governments aligned with the ideas of freedom, while he anticipated that this process could deepen in the coming months due to the region's electoral calendars.

The statements were made during an interview with journalist Andrés Oppenheimer on CNN en Español, in which the head of state addressed the Venezuelan situation, the regional dynamic, and his vision of the political future of the continent.

At the beginning of the dialogue, Milei maintained that there is a change in the political climate in Latin America and stated: “The region has awakened from the nightmare of 21st-century socialism.” In that context, he highlighted the emergence of leaders and governments that share an ideological orientation favorable to the ideas of economic freedom and to the rejection of socialist models.

Among the examples he mentioned, he referred to the case of José Antonio Kast in Chile and pointed out that new similar scenarios could occur in countries that will hold elections this year.

Venezuela

The situation in Venezuela occupied a large part of the interview. Milei described Nicolás Maduro's regime as a “narco-terrorist” dictatorship and compared it to Castroism in the 1970s.

According to his explanation, 21st-century socialism attempts to establish itself initially through democratic mechanisms but ends up resulting in totalitarian regimes. In that sense, he stated that the Venezuelan dictatorship lost legitimacy by disregarding the electoral results and remaining in power with the support of the Armed Forces.

The interview was conducted before the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States. However, when he was asked about the possibility of supporting a military action in the Caribbean country, Milei expressed his support explicitly.

“Absolutely. I wouldn't call it an invasion, I would call it liberation,” he maintained. The Argentine president insisted that the Venezuelan regime is linked to drug trafficking and that it deployed spies and subversive elements in different countries in the region with the objective of destabilizing governments that do not share its ideology.

During the exchange, Milei was emphatic in expressing his willingness to support actions in defense of his convictions. “I'm willing to fight the battle for freedom throughout the world,” he stated.

When he was asked what kind of concrete support Argentina could offer in the face of a possible international operation, he replied: “Whatever they require from me.” He clarified, however, that so far he hasn't received any formal request and that he will evaluate the alternatives if they arise.

The head of state also expressed his skepticism regarding the diplomatic initiatives promoted by some countries to solve the Venezuelan crisis. In particular, he questioned the stance of Brazil and other governments that are friendly with the regime. “The solution proposed by the allies of 21st-century socialism is that they shouldn't pay the costs for the aberrations they committed,” he stressed.

A right-wing regional bloc

In another part of the interview, Milei referred to the formation of a group of countries in the region that, according to what he indicated, would be moving forward in a common political coordination based on ideas that are contrary to 21st-century socialism.

He stated that there are already conversations with ten countries and that the objective is to consolidate a bloc oriented toward the ideas of freedom and toward confronting the advance of socialism. “Don't have any doubt, I'm working actively toward that,” he pointed out, and he added that Foreign Minister Quirno is in charge of the coordination of this group, which could hold its first formal meeting during the first quarter of 2026.

Milei also made it clear that he doesn't maintain dialogue with Brazil's dictator, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is aligned with regional socialism. In that context, he expressed his preference for the possibility of a government headed by the Bolsonaro family, although he clarified that electoral decisions belong exclusively to the Brazilian people.

Finally, when he referred to the upcoming elections in Latin America, the Argentine president maintained that “people are discovering that it's a farce” and he linked the failure of socialist models to the impoverishment of the population. Regarding Colombia's president, the communist Gustavo Petro, he stated that his recent remarks show him “fully that he is a liar.”