Javier Milei: Argentines wait for 'crazy' president's shock therapy to work

1 day ago

By Ione Wells
South America correspondent, Buenos Aires



Javier Milei wielded a chainsaw at one of his campaign rallies to symbolise his plans to slash public spending
There is one thing that unites those who love and loathe Argentina's new president - they both describe him as "crazy".

"Most people call him that. I think it's good," says 21-year-old Axel Uhrig of Javier Milei, who won the presidential election with 56% of the vote in November. Axel is part of Pibes Libertarios (libertarian lads) - a self-described "militant" group whose battleground is social media. They stick posters around Buenos Aires at night with QR codes linking to videos in support of President Milei's policies.

The new president is trying to get a package of reforms approved to shrink the state, but is struggling to get it through Congress, where he does not have a majority.

Mr Milei may have won the election, but the Pibes Libertarios still feel they are fighting a battle for his sweeping reforms to privatise companies and cut regulations to be made into law.



The Pibes Libertarios support the president's radical reforms and libertarian ideology

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