If Argentina exercises its "democratic right" not to join BRICS, the bloc "will not be any poorer" due to the "absence of one country", according to Anil Sooklal, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa.
"Of course, we would very much welcome Argentina being part of BRICS, being a leading country in Latin America. But at the same time, should Argentina not take up the invitation, we still have five other new members that will add value to BRICS," Mr. Sooklal says.
The election of Javier Milei is a signal to "the Global South, particularly in South America" of a "very pro-Europe-America leader", as specified by Ovigwe Eguegu, a Nigerian policy consultant.
"What that means is more pressure on countries like Venezuela, more pressure on Nicaragua and all of these countries that are trying to pull away from the US orbit. [If] it's [Argentina's] foreign policy is antagonistic, then it might actually stifle its opportunity to cooperate with other partners and neighbors who might not be very trusting of his [Milei's] government, he explains.
An alternative point of view is that Milei's position on BRICS may change "once he takes over the presidency", due to the "benefits" that Argentina would find "attractive".
"We will all remember that Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil was opposed to BRICS. But once he was president of Brazil, he continued to participate in BRICS. That is partly because it's not his decision, but it's about what is the interest of the country," Prof. Siphamandla Zondi, director of the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg, believes.
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