BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentines have overwhelmingly elected Javier Milei,
an ultra-conservative economist, as the next president of the South
American country. With nearly all the votes counted, the former TV
pundit won by more than 10 points.
The far-right populist and
first-time congressman won the second round of the presidential
election, defeating Sergio Massa, the economy minister from the ruling
Peronist party. Massa conceded defeat soon after the polls closed,
pledging to help the president-elect transition to power.
Addressing
a crowd of ecstatic supporters at the Libertador Hotel in Buenos Aires
Milei said that Argentina was in a "critical situation" and that it was
no time for "half measures."
"The model of decadence has come to an end. There's no going
back," he told the crowd. "We have monumental problems ahead. Inflation,
lack of work, and poverty."
Milei is a newcomer to politics,
just winning a seat in the Congress two years ago with his
ultra-conservative libertarian party Freedom Advances. He describes
himself as an anarcho-capitalist and pledged to battle Argentina's
staggering inflation, now at more than 140%, by replacing the peso with
the dollar and abolishing the Central Bank.
He's also promised
to slash Argentina's generous state spending and subsidies, a prospect
that had generated fear among loyal voters of the current Peronist
party, which despite a powerful political machine, lost by double
digits.
With his shock of unruly hair and long sideburns,
Milei's outspoken style and outrageous antics have drawn comparisons to
politicians like President Donald Trump and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro.
The
former U.S. president congratulated Milei on his victory, posting a
statement on his Truth social media platform. "You will turn your
country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!" Trump said.
The reaction in the region was more mixed. Colombia's left-wing
president Gustavo Petro congratulated Milei on his victory, but said the
result was "sad for Latin America."
The president of the largest economy in South America was more conciliatory. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
wrote, "I wish good luck and success to the new government. Argentina
is a great country and deserves all our respect. Brazil will always be
available to work together with our Argentine brothers."
The
53-year-old president-elect is known for his eccentricities and brash
statements. A climate denying provocateur, Milei once described
Argentine Pope Francis as "a filthy leftist" and a supporter of
communists.
