If a debate has any chance of defining an election, none better than the one held this Sunday in Argentina between the two candidates for the Presidency. The Peronist Sergio Massa mercilessly beat his rival, the ultra Javier Milei, for two hours. The current Minister of Economy concentrated his efforts on exposing Milei’s contradictions in the campaign, harassed him with questions that he demanded to answer “yes or no”, questioned his emotional stability and was close to doing so. fly off the handle. Milei spent most of the time defending himself against him, while accusing Massa of being part of “the caste” that “has impoverished the country” and once again raising the specter of possible fraud. But he lost, like a amateurthe opportunity to take advantage of the economic crisis that Kirchnerism will leave for the president who will arrive at the Casa Rosada on December 10.
The format of this definitive debate, which allowed interruptions and dialogue between the opponents, clearly favored the Peronist from the beginning. There is a reason he is a professional politician with more than 30 years of experience, who was a candidate for president in 2015, ranting against Kirchnerism (he obtained 21% of the votes) and now returned to the ring under the same wing that he repudiated so much. Milei, who entered politics a little over two years ago from television, suffered from a lack of political reflexes and had to cling to his campaign slogans while he wasted time responding to attacks.
Massa focused on his rival’s changes of opinion. After coming second in the first electoral round, the ultra distanced itself from his most controversial proposals, such as the free carrying of weapons, the end of social aid or ending public education. Massa also blamed him for his alliance with Patricia Bullrich, third in the first round on October 22, and his political boss, former president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019). “Yes or no, are you going to eliminate subsidies? By yes or no, are you going to dollarize the economy? By yes or no, are you going to privatize rivers and seas? By yes or no, are you going to eliminate the Central Bank? “Yes or no, are you going to pay universities fees?” “You are not going to condition me, you are liars,” Milei responded, harassed. “We are not going to touch the rates. You blew up our income, if we had the income we had before convertibility [del peso con el dólar, en1991] we would have four times more than today. Do you know why I’m going to end inflation? Because it is the way you steal from us, the Government of criminals that you are part of,” she responded. “Milei, the debate is long, don’t get aggressive,” Massa replied. “I didn’t attack you, I just expressed with passion what is happening to us,” the ultra told him. The first minutes of the debate set the tone for what would be the next two hours.
Milei was hesitant, but never completely lost his temper, despite his opponent’s efforts. Always on the defensive, she suffered from the rule that prevented her from taking notes. Also the six-minute format. That was the time each one had to develop their topics and they lost seconds when they interrupted their rival. Massa took advantage of the rule: he fired short questions that left Milei without time, while he later had his minutes to close the block at ease. “I understand that you made your career in television, but what is at stake today is the future of the nation. Either you contradict yourself in the basis that you presented to the electoral justice or in what you say tonight. “We are facing someone who is lying tonight or lied throughout the campaign,” Massa blamed his rival. “You’re a liar,” Milei responded repeatedly.
The human rights and democratic coexistence bloc was a good opportunity for Massa, which he inexplicably missed. The ultra proposes the free carrying of weapons and has Victoria Villarruel, a denier of state terrorism, as its candidate for vice president. The debate, however, turned towards Milei’s proposal to reprivatize the pension system and her constant attacks on what she calls “the political caste.” It was at that moment that Massa summarized what her campaign strategy has been: “This is not between [Mauricio] Macri or Cristina [Kirchner], Javier; This is between you or me. “They already had their chance, and the Argentines decide on that.”
The Security bloc was, without a doubt, the one that most benefited Massa, who has been raising the flag of a tough line against crime for years, despite belonging to a Government that disbelieves in it. “The State takes care of security,” Milei began, “but like everything the State does, it does it wrong, Argentina is a bloodbath. “We do not believe in the logic that the criminal is a victim.” “I’m glad that we finally agree on something,” the Peronist responded, and used his time to explain his security policy in Tigre, the municipality on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where he was mayor between 2007 and 2013. Massa then installed hundreds of security cameras and boasted about minimizing crime in his district.
Towards the end, Massa said that he wants to be president “to overcome” the crisis, convinced “that growth is coming now.” Milei had already lost the opportunity to take advantage by criticizing the Kirchnerist government. She barely spoke about corruption, she did not refer to the latest spying scandals on opponents carried out by sectors linked to the vice president and she barely spoke about the economic crisis. Only in the end did he go straight to the hearts of his voters, young people who are fed up with the recurring crises of an Argentina that cannot stay afloat. “I ask you if you want to continue supporting this stupid, parasitic and corrupt political caste. I ask you if you want to choose between the populism that is sinking us or the republic. That is why we offer you the model of freedom, which is applied in rich countries.” “The caste is afraid,” his assistants sang to say goodbye to him. Within a week, Argentines will decide on a new country model.
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