Argentina elects far-right firebrand Javier Milei as president
Argentines headed to the polls on Sunday in a closely contested presidential runoff, with two starkly different visions for the country's future on offer and an electorate simmering with anger at triple-digit inflation and rising poverty.
The election pitted centrist Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, 51, at the helm for the country's worst economic crisis in two decades, against radical far-right outsider Javier Milei, 53 - the slight favorite in pre-vote opinion polls.
With 86% of precincts reporting, Milei was ahead by 56% to 44%. Massa conceded the election at just after 8:00 p.m. local time.
With many Argentines unconvinced by either candidate, some have characterized the election as a choice of the "lesser evil": fear of Milei's painful economic medicine of shock devaluation and sharp cuts, or anger at Massa over the economic crisis.
In the first-round vote on October 22nd, Massa won 36.7% of the votes compared to 30% for Milei - who since won public backing from the third-place candidate, right-wing former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich (23.8%).
He faces a divided Congress, with no one coalition holding an absolute majority in either house - but with Peronists holding pluralities in each.
Popular discontent in the economically troubled nation of 46 million had depressed turnout somewhat in the two previous rounds - but in today's runoff approached the 81% registered in 2019.
Debt and democracy
Outgoing President Alberto Fernández, 64, opted out of running for re-election amid rock-bottom approval ratings and annual inflation of over 140% - partly the result of a foreign debt "Macrisis" inherited from his right-wing predecessor, Mauricio Macri - who backed Milei.
This was the 10th presidential election held in Argentina since 1983, following a 7-year fascist dictatorship that presided over 30,000 "disappeared" and a foreign debt debacle that burdens to the country to this day.
Milei and his running mate, Victoria Villarruel, 48, have openly praised the last dictatorship.
At: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-readies-vote-likely-presidential-election-thriller-2023-11-19/
Argentine presidential candidates Sergio Massa and Javier Milei vote in today's presidential runoff in Argentina.
Representing the center-left governing coalition, the pragmatic Massa fell short against a neo-fascist Milei whose runoff campaign was bolstered by an endorsement from the third-place candidate, Patricia Bullrich.
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The fascists must be having an international holiday.
Have been so afraid this could happen. It will take generations to get Argentina healthy again, a country still trying to overcome the horrendous tragedy of the fascist military dictatorship which spread fear, grief, suffering, with US right-wing support.
So very sorry and sick to hear this.
Thank you, peppertree, for breaking the story.
Will he go as far as the dictatorship? Seems there's nothing to hold him back.
(Crying for Argentina, of course. )
Real fascists were probably around 1/3 of his runoff voters, to be fair.
Many of the rest voted for him, the way they might've cast a blank ballot in the past: as a mere "anger" vote. This was especially true of low-information men.
But as they're about to discover, things can always be worse.
And they most likely will be even before he takes office - given what's likely to be a sharp run-up in unofficial dollar exchange rates and, inevitably, local prices on the heels of these news.
Should he in fact enact a shock devaluation in December, the economic pain will only intensify - with riots and a possible collapse likely to follow within weeks.
And besides being the "easiest" thing he can do (as it requires only a Central Bank directive), shock devaluation is at the top of the RW elite's wish list (especially Macri's!) - since it would allow them to snap up everything worth owning, for peanuts.
Qué será.
But enough of that. Let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours and warm and very happy Thanksgiving, Judi.
All the Best! 