Argentine business leader wary of current government's present, warns of Kirchnerism return

Mario Grinman, president of the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services (CAC), stated on Saturday that he does not defend the current government's present situation, though he supports its economic course. He also cautioned against a potential return of Kirchnerism in 2027.

“

If now we have to have a little patience and accept collateral damage for us to be a normal country, it's worth it; we come from many decades of failures, frustrations, and decadence without finding solutions. We forget the past.

Grinman, speaking at the 23rd Council of the Americas event, acknowledged that patience and "collateral damage" might be necessary for Argentina to become a "normal country." He recalled decades of "failures, frustrations, and decadence" and emphasized that the current administration is fulfilling its campaign promises, such as lowering inflation and achieving a fiscal surplus.

“

Milei is fulfilling what he said in the campaign. He promised to lower inflation and he lowered it, he promised zero deficit and surplus and he has it.

While recognizing that sectors like public works, textiles, transport, and supermarkets are suffering from the economic crisis, Grinman pointed out that others are already seeing positive effects. He stressed that there are "no magic solutions" and that the CAC, a liberal chamber since 1924, understands the dynamic nature of businesses. "I am defending a future, not a present," he stated, adding that Argentina has never had such a promising future outlook, which requires time.

“

We are worried, we are not foolish, but we are worried about the possibility of returning to the past, that would be terrible. If the model works, Argentina will be an extraordinary country in a couple of years. But if this doesn't work and we return to the past, it will be an apocalypse.

Grinman expressed concern about the possibility of returning to the past, calling it "terrible" and an "apocalypse" if the current model fails and the country reverts to previous policies. He personally hopes for President Javier Milei's re-election but reiterated that a return to policies like "expropriation" would be catastrophic. He believes the current model is successful globally and that solutions cannot be instantaneous. He suggested that the government's cautious approach might be to avoid undermining the plan's sustainability.

“

I am defending a future, not a present. In Argentina, we have never had a future in sight like this one, it requires time.