Mexican president snaps back at taunts from Argentinian leader

MEXICO CITY

After Argentine President Javier Milei called his Mexican counterpart "ignorant," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded Thursday by criticizing the government in Buenos Aries.

Milei spent time criticizing Latin American leaders in an interview March 26 for CNN Espanol,

Regarding Lopez Obrador, who had previously called Milei a "conservative fascist," the Argentinian said: "It's flattering that an ignorant man like Lopez Obrador speaks ill of me, it exalts me."

López Obrador responded to those comments and referenced Pope Francis, whom Milei had previously insulted.

"I still do not understand how the Argentines, being so intelligent, voted for someone who despises the people and who dared to accuse his countryman Francis of being a ‘communist’ and ‘representative of the Evil One on earth,’ when he is the most Christian Pope and defender of the poor that I have ever known or heard of," Lopez Obrador wrote X.

The Mexican president also sent “A hug” to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who Milei accused of being a "terrorist murderer," in the interview with CNN.

In light of Milei's election last November, Lopez Obrador shared his disapproval of the rightist leader.

During a news conference, Obrador criticized Milei's political platform, which relied on pledges to cut government expenditures, particularly social assistance, and privatizing state industries.

"I do not agree with those policies, I will never agree with those classist, authoritarian, dishonest policies, not only intellectually, those who promote those policies are very corrupt. They are the most thieves in the world ... they are part of the dominant oligarchy, they are dedicated to looting, stealing, oppressing, exploiting, humiliating the people," Lopez Obrador said in November.

​​​​​​​Milei announced a series of reforms, including a devaluation of the Argentine peso against the US dollar by more than 50% since taking office in December.
Argentina is among countries with the highest inflation rates, surpassing countries such as Venezuela.

Poverty rates in Argentina have exceeded 50% since January, according to the Social Observatory of the Catholic University of Argentina.