A billboard sign for presidential candidate Javier Milei and Carolina Piparo who is running for the governorship of Buenos Aires province, is juxtaposed with photos of current Economy Minister Sergio Massa, also running for president, and current governor of Buenos Aires province Axel Kicillof, and reads in Spanish: “Kichnersimo or Freedom” in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
Natacha Pisarenko/AP
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentines were going to the polls Sunday, as frustrated voters weigh handing the presidency to an anti-establishment, right-wing populist who has shaken up the political system and pledges to drastically overhaul the state.
Javier Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist who admires former U.S. President Donald Trump, sent shockwaves through the nation after receiving the most votes in the August primaries. The economist and first-year lawmaker has said he will slash public spending, halve the number of government ministries, eliminate the central bank and replace the local currency with the U.S. dollar.
He first made a name for himself with angry tirades blasting what he calls the “political caste” on television, and has gained support from Argentines struggling to make ends meet amid annual inflation of 140% and a rapidly depreciating currency. His platform also calls for reshaping Argentine culture, and he casts himself as a crusader against the sinister forces of socialism at home and abroad.
“Argentina is in for a wild ride,” Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America program at the Washington-based Wilson Center, said. “The most likely scenario is rather worrisome, a polarized society, divided congress, combative and inexperienced leader and an economy…
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