“South America should not be defined by foreign agendas”

The Vice President attended a meeting in the Spanish Congress and highlighted the need for the region to act on the basis of common interests

June 12, 2025 – 10:31 p.m

Vice President Victoria Villarruel presented her own and nuanced geopolitical vision of the Casa Rosada during her participation in the preparatory session of the XII. Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum in the Spanish House of Representatives in Madrid. In his speech, Villarruel focused on regional identity and autonomy and distanced himself from the policy of full alignment promoted by President Javier Milei. He stated categorically: “Our continent should not be defined on the basis of foreign agendas, but on the basis of its own calling.”

The vice president’s intervention came in the context of a “global redefinition” in which the technological revolution and demographic changes require the region to strengthen its unity, identity and culture. While President Milei favored rapprochement with the United States and Israel and the concept of the “political and economic West,” Villarruel focused on the Ibero-American community as a “civilization united by its Christian cultural roots” and insisted that the region must consolidate its own project based on a “calm and responsible dialogue.”

In addition to her call for autonomy, the vice president used the Spanish platform to justify Argentina’s claim of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands and thanked Ibero-American nations for their “historic support.” Although this position is traditional in Argentine diplomacy, it contrasts with the more pragmatic approach the government has taken towards the United Kingdom in other areas.

Villarruel divided his talk into three thematic axes that propose an international agenda focused on cooperation and regional identity, prioritizing issues that differ from the official narrative that focuses on macroeconomics and deregulation.

Innovation, ethics and technological autonomy

Given the revolution in artificial intelligence and technology, the vice president warned that ethics must prevail and that innovation must not be a “tool that fragments us, dehumanizes us or makes us dependent on the interests of other people.” In contrast to President Milei’s deregulatory stance, Villarruel proposed the following:

Move towards common regulatory frameworks that prioritize human dignity, intimacy and data protection.

Create “regional research ecosystems, regional investment funds and large data centers” and underscore the need for a coordinated Latin American strategy to ensure autonomy.

Food security and territorial roots

Villarruel positioned the region as a leader in protein production and urged not to limit itself to the role of raw material supplier. He postulated that Ibero-America should lead the value chains with technology and local development, thus ensuring “territorial roots.” He proposed promoting laws that promote agribusiness, improve the relationship between inputs and final products, and reduce food waste. He also called for the bioeconomy to be promoted as a model of sustainable development and to be understood as a balance between social, environmental and economic issues.

Demographic sustainability and life support

The third axis, focused on demographic and social issues, warned of the “worrying trend of low birth rates” in the region, which “endangers development opportunities” and is a crucial factor for the geopolitical balance. Villarruel suggested:

Promote legislation to support motherhood and young families, including housing and tax incentives.

Ensuring access to ethical and responsible reproductive health services and promoting care networks.

Villarruel concluded with a call for consensus, declaring that America represents “an authentic land of life and hope,” cementing a position that places cultural identity and regional autonomy above the logic of clear global alignments.