Archbishop criticizes Argentine President Milei’s austerity policies during religious ceremony

MEXICO CITY (AP) - The Archbishop of Buenos Aires fiercely criticized Argentine President Javier Milei during a religious ceremony the leader attended Sunday, saying that under the government’s harsh policies "fraternity, tolerance and respect are dying.”

Milei, a libertarian and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has implemented austerity policies, a sort of fiscal shock therapy, in an attempt to reign in painfully high inflation in the South American nation. But the policies have also left poverty rates soaring and fueled waves of protests, which in some cases have been met with a violent response by police.

On Sunday, Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva denounced those policies and the larger political atmosphere in Argentina in front of Milei, who was kneeling alone in the front row, and members of his Cabinet.

"Argentina is bleeding from inequality," he said. The government "is far away from the people in the streets. They don’t feel their pain, nor their frustrations."

Milei watched the speech still faced. Garcia Cuerva warned of hate and misinformation spreading through social media. He described it as "terrorism through social media,” citing former Pope Francis, who hailed from Argentina. Milei’s government often uses social media to attack critics, including politicians and journalists, calling them names like "degenerates" and "baboons."

Garcia Cuerva also called for more support for the poor and young people he said are increasingly thrown into precarious situations. He specifically highlighted retirees, whose pensions have been severely affected by the austerity policies, and who hold protests every week, often met by police repression.

"Retirees deserve a dignified life with access to medicine and food, a wound that has remained open and bleeding for years, but as a society we must heal it soon," Garcia Cuerva said.