President Javier Milei led a ceremony in Buenos Aires to honor General José de San Martín, using the event to criticize Kirchnerist political ideology [1].
The speech highlights the ongoing tension between the current administration and the Peronist-aligned Kirchnerist movement. By framing the commemoration as a battle for liberty, Milei signaled his intent to maintain a hard line against previous governing styles.
The event took place in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires [2]. While sources differ on the exact date, the ceremony occurred this week on either Aug. 16 or Aug. 17 [2, 3]. Milei said the nation must defend liberty against both external and internal enemies [1].
During the address, Milei warned that some political forces desire a return to previous eras of governance. "There are those who want the past to return," Milei said [3].
He argued that the nation cannot return to its previous political state because the results of those policies are already known. "We do not have a past to return to because we already know where it leads us," Milei said. He added that the country has liberty as a mandate, and must follow the path of its founding father [1].
The ceremony also served as a moment of political alignment. Milei shared the event with Jorge Macri, indicating a continued rapprochement between the La Libertad Avanza party and the Pro party [2].
Throughout the homage to San Martín's "Passage to Immortality," the president emphasized that the fight for freedom remains a current struggle. He positioned the legacy of the general as a foundation for his current economic and social reforms [1, 3].
“"There are those who want the past to return,"”
Milei's use of a nationalistic holiday to attack Kirchnerism demonstrates his strategy of blending traditional patriotic symbols with his libertarian agenda. By aligning himself with San Martín, he attempts to frame his policies not as a radical departure from Argentine history, but as a return to the fundamental values of the nation's founders. The presence of Jorge Macri further suggests a consolidating right-wing coalition intended to marginalize the Peronist influence in the long term.
