Argentine libertarian Milei pledges new political era after election win. By Nicolás Misculin at Reuters.
Argentina elected right-wing libertarian Javier Milei as its new president on Sunday, rolling the dice on an outsider with radical views to fix an economy battered by triple-digit inflation, a looming recession and rising poverty.
Amazing!!!! 🎉🎉🎉 Yes it’s official. Argentina has better election integrity than the US. https://t.co/w3uQPBPSHv
— Dr. Lynn Fynn-derella🐭 (@Fynnderella1) November 19, 2023
Milei, who rode a wave of voter anger with the political mainstream, won by a wider-than-expected margin. He landed some 56% of the vote versus just over 44% for his rival, Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who conceded. …
“We have monumental problems ahead: inflation, lack of work, and poverty,” he said. “The situation is critical and there is no place for tepid half-measures.”
In downtown Buenos Aires hundreds of Milei supporters honked horns and chanted his popular refrain against the political elite — “out with all of them” — as rock music played from speakers. Some people set off fireworks as excitement spread. …
Milei has been particularly popular among the young, who have grown up seeing their country lurch from one crisis to another. …
What does it take before people will vote to overthrow the central bank?
Milei is pledging economic shock therapy. His plans include shutting the central bank, ditching the peso, and slashing spending, potentially painful reforms that resonated with voters angry at the economic malaise. …
Milei’s challenges are enormous. He will have to deal with the empty coffers of the government and central bank, a creaking $44 billion debt program with the International Monetary Fund, inflation nearing 150% and a dizzying array of capital controls. …
Policies:
Milei has criticized China and Brazil, saying he won’t deal with “communists,” and favors stronger U.S. ties. …
Milei is staunchly anti-abortion, favors looser gun laws and has criticized Argentine Pope Francis. He used to carry a chainsaw in a symbol of his planned cuts but shelved it in recent weeks to help boost his moderate image.
