Argentina elected right-wing libertarian Javier Milei as its new president on Sunday, rolling the dice on an outsider with radical views to fix an economy battered by triple-digit inflation, a looming recession, and rising poverty, XQ informs via France 24.
Milei, who rode a wave of voter anger with the political mainstream, won by a wider-than-expected margin. He landed some 56% of the vote, versus just over 44% for his rival, Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who conceded.
The model of decadence has come to an end; there's no going back,» Milei said in a defiant speech after the result, while also acknowledging the challenges that face him.
“We have monumental problems ahead: inflation, lack of work, and poverty,” he said. “The situation is critical, and there is no place for tepid half-measures.”
In downtown Buenos Aires, hundreds of Milei supporters honked horns and chanted his popular refrain against the political elite—"out"with all of them"—as rock music played from speakers. Some people set off fireworks as excitement spread.