Javier Milei was elected president of Argentina in the second round of balloting this weekend. The economist elected the country’s leader faces an uphill battle in an economy suffering from the effects of economic mismanagement.
Milei had a strongly anti-socialist platform during his campaign, pledging to work more closely with the United States. He won by more than 10%, marking a significant victory after two rounds of voting. He will take office as Argentina’s chief executive on Dec. 10.
Milei also promised to reduce ties with communist states, such as China.
Argentina is a resource-rich nation that once ranked as one of the wealthiest in the world. However, critics claim following decades of socialist policies, the country has faced one of the worst economic outcomes on the planet.
Milei defeated a Peronist candidate to take the presidency. Much of the country’s policy has been marked by the legacy of two-time president Juan Peron, who ushered in left-wing politics and aided a number of Nazi war criminals.
Argentina is currently in a difficult economic situation. Current Peronist President Alberto Fernandez has overseen a significant debt crisis and an inflation rate that reached 100%. His departure comes after most of the last 20 years dominated by the Kirchner family and Peronist economic and political ideas.
Milei has been unique among South American politicians in his longstanding defense of capitalism. He stated that socialism is an “impoverishing system” that leads to economic challenges.
“The state does not create wealth; it only destroys it. The state cannot give anything because it doesn’t produce anything, and when it wants to do so, it does so badly,” he said.
The incoming president has promised to reduce the challenges of inflation by making the United States dollar the official currency of Argentina.
The economist-turned-president received considerable attention outside of South America. American conservative journalist Tucker Carlson traveled to Argentina to interview the candidate.
Ep. 24 Argentina’s next president could be Javier Milei. Who is he? We traveled to Buenos Aires to speak with him and find out. pic.twitter.com/4WwTZYoWHs
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 14, 2023
Milei complimented former President Donald Trump in the interview and said that the “battle has to be fought permanently, one cannot rest because when you rest, socialism advances.”
