the liberal economist Javier Milei was ranked first in Argentina’s electoral primaries, which took place this Sunday (13). Alberto Fernandez, the current president, will not run in the next election, scheduled for October 22.
The candidate, founder of the coalition La Libertad Avanza (in free translation, Freedom Advances), for which he is contesting the elections, was chosen by more than 30% of Argentines who went to the polls, surpassing the macrism of the Juntos por el Câmbio (Together for Change) and the Peronist-Kirchnerist coalition Unión por la Patria (Union for the Fatherland).
Among the promises of the “pro-market” economist, if he wins the presidential elections, are to cut public spending, dollarize the country, abolish the Central Bank, put an end to “cultural Marxism” and reduce taxes and regulations.
Who is Javier Milei
- Born in Buenos Aires, Milei is a 52-year-old liberal economist, graduated from the Argentine University of Belgrano;
- An admirer of former US President Donald Trump and a friend of the Bolsonaro family, the candidate is an outspoken defender of the free market, even claiming to be an anarcho-capitalist sympathizer;
- Since 2021, he has held the public office of federal deputy;
- His main proposal is the dollarization of Argentina. According to him, the measure will control inflation, through the eradication of the peso, placing the American currency, which is already traded within the country, as the main currency for negotiations;
- Within the usual guidelines, the economist is divided: on the one hand, he is against abortion, on the other, in favor of same-sex marriage;
- Milei is a staunch opponent of Kirchnerism. In one of his speeches, he promised to “put an end” to what he considers a “political caste in the country”, calling on voters who did not participate in the primaries to join him in the “liberal revolution” in October.
Projection for the elections
Specialist in Electoral Law Renato Ribeiro de Almeida, doctor in State Law from USP, explained to People’s Gazette that there is a significant possibility of Milei’s victory in the October elections.
“I understand that the chances of him (Javier Milei) winning the presidential elections in October are great, since he won most of the Argentine provinces”, he pointed out.
For the analyst, the surprising majority of votes for the liberal is related to “a disbelief in politics, which makes room for the growth of other less traditional political figures.”
One of the immediate effects of the economist’s official victory, according to Almeida, is Argentina’s isolation from neighboring countries and from economic agreements such as, for example, Mercosur.
Presidential elections are scheduled to take place on October 22. The second most voted coalition in the primaries, with 28.2%, was the center-right Together for Change, led by former Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich, followed by Peronism, which occupied third place, with 27.11%, whose main name is the current Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, supported by President Alberto Fernandez.
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