Javier Milei's Government focuses on Bukele's policies to combat insecurity in Argentina

Nayib Bukele comfortably won the presidential elections in El Salvador and secured a second term. Minutes after casting his vote last Sunday, February 4, he spoke briefly with the press and gave a nod to Javier Milei's Government in Argentina. Less than 24 hours later, the wink was reciprocated, and talk of a common agenda to combat insecurity began.

Within hours of knowing the results of the elections that would later see him as the winner by more than 80% of the votes, the Salvadoran president referred to his Argentine counterpart. "I wish you the best, and if we can collaborate on something, we are at your disposal," he expressed, addressing the security problem in Argentina more in-depth.

"Because the problem is smaller, the medication might be smaller. (...) I believe that all countries have differences and it is clear that El Salvador is not the United Kingdom, the same could be said that El Salvador is not Argentina either. There are differences, even Argentina's security problem, which exists, is perhaps not as pressing as it was in El Salvador and, therefore, the measures that can be shared on our part, suddenly do not need to be so drastic," he added.

The response from Milei's Government: "We are interested in adapting Bukele's model"

Less than a day after Bukele's statements, Patricia Bullrich, Argentina's minister of security, took up the gauntlet and responded publicly in an interview with Infobae.

To begin with, she revealed a conversation she had with Salvadoran cabinet officials during Milei's inauguration.

"When Milei was inaugurated, Bukele did not come. Instead, his minister of security came. We had exchanges, a talk about the problem and how they had reduced crime. We agreed to organize a visit there knowing that their problem is very complicated, very difficult, but that they achieved a very, very important reduction. I was surprised that my name came up, but it is clear that the minister spoke about it. We have not yet returned to the issue," she said.

In turn, she stated that she would be very interested in emulating in Argentina what the recently re-elected president achieved in El Salvador.

"We are interested in adapting Bukele's model. Violence in Argentina is strong. Last weekend there were deaths in soccer, it was a summer with permanent fights, bandits. The gang model is complicated, but we see an increase in the level of intersecting gang violence or confrontations in clubs. That violence, working on that, interests us," she concluded.