Argentina Industry Crisis: Local Biz Fearful Ahead Of “Devastating” Reforms; Almodóvar, Iñárritu, Justine Triet & More Sign Letter Condemning Far Right Leader’s Plan To Scrap State Film Funding
24.01.2024 - 08:13
/ deadline.com
Shortly before a momentous vote takes place in Argentina, Deadline spoke to leading film professionals about how “devastating” reforms could derail the country’s screen sector.
Today, the country’s new far-right President Javier Milei will try to push through a legislative program in Congress that aims to deregulate industries, expand presidential powers, silence dissenters and reimagine or do away with decades-old institutions.
Often dubbed “El Loco” (the madman) by his critics, Milei, a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist,” only entered politics in 2021 after a colorful career as an economist and TV pundit. His election win late last year was seen by many as an anti-establishment vote fueled by voter anger over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.
Argentina’s economy, the second largest in South America, has been in a semi-permanent state of crisis since 2018. The country’s economic woes deepened over the last year, with inflation at a record high and more than 40% of Argentinians now living in poverty. The cultural industry is just one part of Argentinian life that is set for reforms as part of a radical reform package, which Milei believes will in some way rejuvenate the country but, in turn, threaten institutions that have been built over decades.
Milei’s theatrics and aggressive anti-establishment agenda have led many to draw comparisons to Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil — which he has routinely welcomed.
“My alignment with Trump and Bolsonaro is almost natural,” Milei told local media during his presidential campaign.
Welcoming Milei’s election in November, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Make Argentina Great Again!”
The most controversial reforms cited in the President’s flagship