Javier Milei has emerged the new president of Argentina after amassing more than 56% of the vote cast in the decisive run-off, ahead of his left-wing rival, Sergio Massa, who can only boast of 44% of votes.
Javier Milei’s emergence as the president of Argentina has been described as a “a political earthquake”.
It has been welcomed by like-minded politicians such as US ex-President Donald Trump, who said Mr Milei would “Make Argentina Great Again”.
Brazil’s former leader Jair Bolsonaro said that “hope would shine again in South America”.
Sometimes dubbed “El Loco” (the madman) by his critics, Mr Milei has promised drastic changes, which include ditching the local currency, the peso, for the US dollar and “blowing up” the central bank in order to prevent it from printing more money, which he argues is driving inflation.
He has also proposed cutting welfare payments and slashing bureaucracy by closing the ministries of culture, women, health and education, among others.
On social issues, the president-elect wants to loosen gun laws, abolish abortion – which was legalised in Argentina in 2020 – and allow the sale and purchase of human organs.
Mr Milei’s victory comes amid a deep economic crisis which has seen annual inflation rise to 143% and 40% of Argentines living in poverty.
While opinion polls conducted before the election had given Mr Milei a slight lead over Mr Massa, the wide margin of his win – by more than 11% according to provisional results – has surprised many.
Mr Massa, who is the economy minister in the outgoing left-wing government, quickly conceded defeat saying that “obviously the results are not what we had hoped for”.
