President Javier Milei led the event in Córdoba to present the six new F-16 fighter jets, an occasion he used to strongly criticize Kirchnerism and the concept of national sovereignty. "With this important investment in military armament, we will substantially strengthen our Air Force," the president stated. He also used emphatic language to describe the role of the new aircraft: "Today, hundreds of thousands of Argentines were able to lift their eyes and see, for the first time, their guardian angels soaring through the sky." Milei highlighted the military investment, ensuring that "after an anxious wait, I finally have behind me the first six F-16 fighter jets. The F-16s are the new guardians of Argentine airspace." In another part of his speech, the head of state referred to criticisms of recent appointments in the Defense sector, stating: "Now, sheltering themselves by conjuring up ghosts of the past, they reject the appointment of Lieutenant General (Carlos Presti), but the appointment of the new minister (of Defense) is based on his suitability for the position." The president concluded this point by emphasizing his criteria for selecting officials: "We are not looking to put those who measure best on camera, but rather we seek those who know the most about the subject. And logically, who knows the most about national defense is a military man." He considered that, for that political sector, sovereignty "means a great shantytown decorated with Argentine pennants." In this critical vein, the head of state maintained that "in an effort to make political capital from a national tragedy such as the last military dictatorship, in recent decades Kirchnerism has dedicated itself to demonizing our Armed Forces and souring the relationship between them and society."
