Javier Milei, Argentina's recently elected president, sparked controversy with his ongoing verbal attacks on popular Argentine singer and actress,Lali Espósito.
The libertarian and anarcho-capitalist politician has been targeting Espósito over her alleged ties to funding for her performances from past governments.
The feud escalated when Milei, during a radio interview, referred to Espósito as "Lali Depósito," (meaning deposit) a play on her last name, suggesting she's a "parasite" living off from government funds.
"She started it," said the leader of La Libertad Avanza when a journalist asked him if he hadn't crossed a line by calling her that derogatory nickname.
"If you want to attack, you have to be clean. If you are a parasite who lived sucking on the teat of the State, you are in trouble and, if on top of that, your opinions are in line with a political space that paid for your presentations, you are a propaganda mechanism, you are not an artist," the president added.
He accused her of being complicit in political propaganda due to her alignment with political ideologies, insinuating that her artistic career was intertwined with government support.
Recently, the 32-year-old star published a statement on social media defending her career. She described the president's speech as "unfair and violent," and invited him to attend one of her shows to verify her professionalism.
"I feel that the power imbalance between you and those you attack for thinking differently, along with the false information, makes your speech unfair and violent," she said.
Later, she expressed that the president "is the captain of a ship on which we all travel, those who voted for him and those who did not, and that is why I hope the path he chooses leads EVERYONE to a better place."
"Democratically, I accept the path chosen by the majority, and with respect, I want to have the freedom to think differently," she emphasized.
Curiously, Argentina's president is spending his time engaging in public disputes with Lali when the country is facing significant economic challenges. Argentina's economy has been impacted by factors such as high inflation (hitting a three-decade high at 254.2%), mounting debt, and a history of financial crises.
Moreover, it's worth noting that far from being a "parasite" from the public sector, Lali started her career at the age of 12, starring in popular Argentine teen soap operas such as "Rincón de Luz," "Floricienta," and "Casi Ángeles."
It was in the latter where she showcased her singing talents as part of the pop band spin-off, "Teen Angels," releasing six albums and touring across Latin America, Spain, and Israel.
Today, Espósito stands as one of Argentina's most beloved and internationally recognized singers, with 12 million followers on Instagram, hundreds of millions of streams on platforms like Spotify, and a fan base spanning various countries worldwide.
Lali even became the first Argentine artist to perform in Times Square, where she performed before nearly half a million spectators during the 2019 Countdown.
The animosity between Milei and Espósito dates back to last year when Espósito expressed disappointment over Milei's political victory in the primaries, as she tweeted: "How dangerous. How sad."
Since then, the exchanges between them have escalated, with Milei launching personal attacks and Espósito responding defiantly through her music and public statements.
Espósito, The Argentinian Taylor Swift?
Examining this series of events, it's impossible to overlook the parallels with Donald Trump's attacks on Taylor Swift.
In Swift's case, Trump slammed her due to her endorsement of Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections.
Trump accused Swift of not being "loyal" to the Republican Party and suggested that she was "grossly overrated." His criticism of Swift was part of a broader pattern of targeting cultural figures who expressed political views that differed from his own.
More recently, some Republicans spread conspiracy theories, including unfounded claims that her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is part of a plot to influence the 2024 presidential election.
Some have suggested that Swift and Kelce's public association is a contrived couple, assembled to boost the NFL, Covid vaccines, or Democrats. Additionally, there have been accusations that the NFL is "rigged" to spread "Democrat propaganda," and that Swift would endorse President Joe Biden during the Super Bowl.
Both Espósito and Swift have shown resilience and a commitment to using their platforms for advocacy, regardless of challenges.
Image created with photos from Facundo Florit and Christian Bertrand on Shutterstock.
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