"Why is Argentina still having difficulties?"

President Mauricio Macri participated this Tuesday in the Annual Freedom Foundation Dinner. Beyond certain definitions relating to impending elections, he stressed the presence of Mario Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian writer who won a prize Nobel Literature, who served as an interviewer and did not hesitate to inquire about the socio-economic situation of the country.

The event was held at the Goldencenter of the Parque Norte complex, where the president was accompanied by the first lady, Juliana Awada, after the two attended the reception in his honor offered by the Kings of Spain Four Seasons Hotel.

Macri greeted the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro and the authorities of the Freedom Foundation. In addition, the chief of staff, Marcos Peña; the chancellor Jorge Faurie and the ministers of transport, Guillermo Dietrichand security, Patricia Bullrich.

At one point in the night, Vargas Llosa asked Macri about the current situation. "Why is Argentina still in trouble, if it is a country with huge resources, with such an educated population? President Macri: say why the country continues with so many problems"says the writer.

"What a good starting point, Mario," said Macri to the Nobel laureate, before replying that "that the change we have undertaken is a profound change, because it is a matter of correcting something that happened 70 years ago", as published by the newspaper Clarin.

Courtesy / La Nación

"If you compare with other countries, this period marks stagnation. It's been three and a half years since Argentina produced a changein a context where populism had not reached the end point. But we have done a lot to exercise the government with the freedom of the press, of opinion, "explained the president.

He added: "We are liberal in the broad sense of the term, because criticism is part of the democratic system, we showcase the institutions, with a Independent Central Bank and we started building the infrastructure of a country of our size. But we had problems when the world changed and Argentina suffered; we come to a difficult path, we live in a very difficult time in ArgentinaYou have to adjust your belt, people are struggling to make ends meet. "

"Today, we are coming out of the shock of last year, the field gives us a boost with the harvest and there is electoral doubt, but we learned with pain, effort and anger. We will reaffirm the path we have taken", continued the president.

"In every province, there are projects. An SME can not grow with a rate of 70%; there is a tough race race; there are people who are convinced that we can continue without working, but I think that we, the Argentineans, will not go back, "he concluded optimistically.

Macri and Awada with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain. | AFP

Macri also highlighted some achievements: "We have built roads and highways like never before in the last 65 years, harbors, energy, sewage systems, clean water," have noticed.

He noted that "now we are at a very difficult time, but it is a road of construction, the same who traveled Spain with such good results, too Colombia, Peru"