The Argentine president Javier Milei used Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina itself as examples of the economic destruction caused by socialism during a speech he delivered in Washington at the Official Gala of Hispanic Heritage Month.
A fragment of the speech was shared by the Milei Media account on X.
"The country that produces food for 500 million people had a large number of homeless individuals. Look at the disasters that socialism can cause: not to mention, Cuba lacks sugar, Venezuela lacks oil, and Argentina lacks food," he stated.
The president also called on Latin American leaders to form "a true shield against socialism" alongside Donald Trump.
Milei's references to Cuba are not exaggerated: the country that was the world's largest sugar producer for much of the 20th century, is facing a productive collapse due to the failed policies of Fidel Castro. The 2024-2025 Cuban harvest produced less than 150,000 tons of sugar, with only six out of 14 operational mills.
In the same speech, Milei presented figures from his administration as evidence that Argentina has managed to change course. He claimed that extreme poverty dropped from 20% to 6% and that child poverty decreased from 70% to 40%, although he acknowledged that "the number is still high."
"In two and a half years, that is, in 30 months, we are repairing the damages of 100 years, and that certainly falls into the category of a miracle," he stated.
The Argentine president frequently references the Cuban case in his public appearances. At the 81st General Assembly of the UN, held on September 23, he called for an end to the Castro regime with direct words: "Cuba must be free; that bloody dictatorship must end."
In August, speaking before the Council of the Americas in Buenos Aires, he warned that he trusted "the Argentines who do not want to go back to the past and do not want to become Cuba".
In diplomatic terms, Argentina has not appointed ambassadors to Cuba, Venezuela, or Nicaragua since Milei took office in December 2023. In October 2025, the country voted against the annual UN resolution calling for the end of the U.S. embargo on the Island.
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