Buenos Aires, Argentina – In an election full of surprises, liberal economist Javier Milei won the presidency of Argentina, defeating the ruling party’s Sergio Massa by a wide margin.
With an anti-establishment and radical discourse, Milei has promised to re-found Argentina and return it to its former economic and social glory. At 53 years of age, the president-elect is a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” and has captured the attention of millions of Argentines seeking a drastic change in the form of government.
With 96% of the tables counted, Milei leads the voting with 55.95% of the votes, against 44.04% of the ruling Peronist candidate Sergio Massa.
The result, which meant a defeat for Peronism, which had been in power for 14 years, marks an important change in the political landscape of Argentina, which has been plunged into a deep economic and social crisis in recent years.
With his promise to dollarize the economy, close the Central Bank and reduce public spending, Milei will have to face a divided Congress with no majorities. But his election marks a turning point in Argentine politics and makes it clear that Argentines are willing to take risks to bring about radical change in their country.
Milei’s victory represents a challenge for leftist leaders in Latin America, such as Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Chile’s Gabriel Boric, as the economist has promised to reorient the country’s politics towards a more liberal model and away from the so-called “socialism of the 21st century”.
For his part, Massa, who acknowledged his defeat in a speech from his headquarters, stated that “Javier Milei is the president” and assured that his team will work together with the new government to guarantee the stability and welfare of the country.
With this unexpected victory, Milei becomes the new leader of Argentina and will have to face important economic and social challenges to lead the country out of the crisis and meet the expectations of the voters who brought him to power.
With information from France 24
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