Southern Cone in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Southern Cone in January 2026, Argentine President Javier Milei was at the center of events at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He gave a speech that referred to Machiavelli's "The Prince" to argue that leaders must adapt their methods to the circumstances they face. On 22 January he signed the founding document of the "Council for Peace" launched by US President Donald Trump, and Argentina was reportedly exempted from the initiative's $1 billion membership fee. Around 20 nations had reportedly accepted the invitation. The United States said its relationship with Argentina was the strongest it had ever been.
Elsewhere, Argentina's ambassador to France demanded that a map showing the Falkland Islands be removed from the French parliament, which drew criticism from some French lawmakers. Venezuela released the driver of the Argentine embassy in Caracas, who had been detained. In Chile, president-elect José Antonio Kast presented his cabinet, which includes few party members, business allies and lawyers who defended the Pinochet government, and announced mandatory drug tests for ministers.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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