In a context of acute economic crisis in Argentina, marked by annual inflation of 115% and an increase in poverty of 40%, the right-wing economist, Javier Milei, achieved a surprising victory by obtaining 30.31% of the votes in the recent primaries.
(Also read: Why does Javier Milei’s triumph shake the political ‘establishment’ in Argentina?).
The Argentine presidential contest is just beginning, leaving almost two months for the elections that will determine the new president and vice president, as well as the renewal of the 130 deputies and 24 senators of the legislature.
His popularity was cemented from television, where he was a regular economic panelist. In the primaries he capitalized on that penetration and won in 16 of 24 provinces.
“The last time there was such an irruption in a national election, it was with Peronism in 1946,” said political scientist Gabriel Puricelli, from the Public Policy Laboratory.
An “elephant passed us and we didn’t see it” editorialized the newspaper Clarion by singling out analysts, pollsters and politicians alike.
for miley “People are angry, because they are not seeing what is happening to them, but talking about a ‘voto rant’ is pejorative. We are in a change of era. The Argentines said enough to the caste model”.
The proposals of the libertarian economist have generated a deep debate, characterized by their novelty and controversial nature.
Milei defends the elimination of the Central Bank and the dollarization of the economy as strategies to control rampant inflation.
Under the self-definition of “anarcho-capitalist”, his objective is the total abolition of the State.
(Keep reading: 3 keys to understanding the unprecedented results of the primaries in Argentina).
“I am the only one capable of putting an end to inflation,” says Javier Milei. The economist is willing to put aside the devalued Argentine peso and bring full dollarization to the country.
“When I mention the destruction of the Central Bank, it is not a rhetorical figure; I want it to be demolished, literally.
That is, make it collapse until only rubble remains,” said Milei.
His strategy is for the country to stop printing banknotes and all transactions are made in dollars.
To this is added his firm rejection of the legalization of abortion and his position against the inclusion of education on gender and identity in public educational institutions.
(We recommend: Who is who: the candidates who will compete for the presidency in Argentina in October).
The economist maintains that a regulation of the financial market by the State is essential to safeguard the savings of the population. In addition, he emphasizes that in no developed country is a central bank dispensed with.
Milei has been linked to radical right-wing politicians such as former US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
His program also promotes the elimination of the ministries of Health, Education and Public Works, which he intends to replace with private investment.
On other issues he is conservative: he rejects abortion and sexual education in schools. “The only rights that he claimed are to life, liberty and property; the rest -he believes- are ideological constructions”.
“The political class does not know how to read it. It takes it literally, but it does not take it seriously. His voters do the opposite: they do not take his proposals literally, but they take him seriously. They recognize themselves before someone who finally says something new,” said Juan Negri, professor of Political Science at Torcuato di Tella University.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP
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