The Church Mission Society (CMS), which absorbed the South American Mission Society (SAMS) in 2009, has responded to the election of far-right populist outsider Javier Milei as the new President of Argentina.
Speaking exclusively to Evangelicals Now, CMS spokesperson Naomi Steinberg commented: ‘From a mission point of view, we can see that the political, economic and environmental situation in Argentina is precarious and needs much prayer. Our people in mission in the region are praying that the new President will be surrounded by a leadership team that is wise, compassionate and full of integrity’.
Milei’s victory has been described as ‘a political earthquake’. It has been welcomed by like-minded politicians such as US ex-President Donald Trump, who said Mr Milei would ‘Make Argentina great again’ and Brazil’s former leader Jair Bolsonaro, who said that ‘hope would shine again in South America’. His victory comes as Argentina suffers a desperate economic crisis, with annual inflation running at 143% and 40% of its people living in poverty.
Sometimes dubbed ‘El Loco’ (the madman) by his critics, Milei has promised drastic changes, which include ditching the local currency, the peso, for the US dollar and ‘blowing up’ the central bank in order to prevent it from printing more money, which he argues is driving inflation. He has also proposed cutting welfare payments and slashing bureaucracy by closing the ministries of culture, women, health and education, among others. Public works would be ‘cut down to zero’. On social issues, he wants to loosen gun laws, abolish abortion – which was legalised in Argentina in 2020 – and allow the sale and purchase of human organs.
A few months ago CMS facilitated a meeting of indigenous peoples’ representatives in Buenos Aires. Representing eight different people groups across five different countries, they charted a future course for mission together, in and from indigenous contexts.
Steinberg added: ‘While we wait to see what impact the election might have on the church in the country and region, our partners in Argentina, most of whom are from indigenous communities, are getting on with the work God has called them to do: loving their neighbours and making disciples of Jesus.’
