Argentine President Javier Milei accused the opposition of trying to generate an economic crisis to “bring down” his administration in a speech on Thursday at a gathering hosted by the Council of the Americas. 

The far-right leader, who railed at deputies after the lower house voted to strike down his decree vetoing a law increasing funds for people with disabilities, was one of the keynote speakers at the event. The Council of the Americas is a U.S. group created in the 1960s to promote free trade and fight the influence of communism in the continent.

Kirchnerism was also at the center of Milei’s rant, saying they will attempt “fraud” in the upcoming national midterm elections, scheduled for October 26.

“[Kirchnerists] know their time is running out,” he said. 

“That is why they are desperate, resorting to any means at their disposal to disrupt the macroeconomic order and generate a crisis that will bring down the government elected by popular vote.”

Milei took various jabs at Kirchnerists, whom he named 14 times during his speech. “Yesterday we witnessed a macabre spectacle that made it clear, once again, that we are faced with a Congress hijacked by Kirchnerism and that has only one legislative agenda: to bankrupt the national government,” he said.

He accused them of “trying to destroy the economy” to go against the government. “Kirchnerism doesn’t care about ruining the lives of all decent Argentinians,” he said.

“They don’t know firsthand what it’s like to suffer in a country with inflation,” he said, accusing them of living off politics. “All their relatives and friends have been living off the state for years, either because they are public employees or because they have illegitimate businesses with the state and the provinces.”

The president gave the speech while his government was in damage control mode, amid corruption allegations against her sister and Secretary General, Karina Milei.

A leaked audio of National Disability Agency head Diego Spagnuolo, who was removed from his post, posited that Karina took bribes from medical and pharmaceutical companies in exchange for state contracts.

The president added that Kirchnerists will try to commit “all kinds of fraud” in the upcoming legislative elections in Buenos Aires province. “Chain voting, ballot box stuffing, party bosses directly buying polling stations,” the president listed.  “And not only that, but also the moral fraud that are testimonial candidacies,” he said, referring to candidates that, if elected, will not take on their roles. 

“We will see our floor in September, and in October, we will do much better,” he said.