While Javier Meili, presidential candidate of the Alliance for Liberty Progress, speaks during a campaign, his supporters with their mobile phones are captured against the backdrop of the Argentine flag.
Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images
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Amidst the Argentinian flag, supporters of Javier Meili are recorded during his campaign.
Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images
In Buenos Aires, Argentina – The upcoming presidential election this Sunday is an unprecedented event in recent Argentinian history.
The nation is grappling with its most severe financial crisis in years, with annual inflation exceeding 140%, a growing poverty rate, and the national currency depreciating daily. A far-right libertarian, known for showcasing a chainsaw at rallies and advocating for significant reduction in government spending, has startled the political establishment. The outcome of the election remains uncertain.
Adding to the complexity is the strong standing of the incumbent ruling party candidate, who currently serves as the economy minister and oversees Argentina’s recently failed finances.
Here’s what you need to know.
Far-right libertarian Xavier Miley refutes climate change and draws parallels to Donald Trump
Xavier Miley, aged 53, is a newcomer to politics. He entered the Argentine Congress in 2021, representing his nascent political faction, Liberty Advance. He has been a vocal conservative figure in the Argentine media, vociferously challenging the country’s political elite, which he denounces as a corrupt “caste”.
His popularity surged during the pandemic, notably among young social media-connected voters who are confronting barriers in accessing the job market.
In addition to his ultra-conservative economic policies – Miley advocates for minimal government intervention in the economy and views taxation as a form of oppression – he is known for his idiosyncrasies and outspoken assertions. Unmarried, he identifies as a tantric sexologist and regards his five bull mastiff dogs, cloned from a preceding pet, as his “four-legged children”.
He adorns himself with disheveled hair and lengthy sideburns, often exhibiting a rock star demeanor at his political assemblies, leaping onto the stage and proclaiming to the crowd that he is a lion, “the king of a forgotten world.”
Presidential candidate of the Liberty Advance coalition, Javier Miley, raises a chainsaw alongside Carolina Piparo, his gubernatorial candidate for Buenos Aires province, at a rally in San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Javier Miley, presidential candidate of the Liberty Advance coalition, appears with a chainsaw at a rally in San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Miley dismisses climate change and denounces Argentina’s Pope Francis, whom he has labeled a “filthy leftist” and a supporter of “murderous communists”. His forthright stance and confrontational behavior have drawn comparisons to President Donald Trump and Brazil’s former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Ruling party candidate Sergio Massa distances himself from prominent Peronists
Sergio Massa, 51, is a seasoned political figure. With a career spanning decades, he was appointed as the economy minister last year. Following his victory in the party primaries last August, Massa now leads the ruling Union for the Fatherland coalition, the Peronist political movement that has steered Argentina through its 40-year democratic era since the downfall of the military dictatorship.
Peronism enjoys substantial backing from Argentina’s underprivileged population, the labor force, and labor unions – and has the capacity to mobilize voters. It demonstrated this in last month’s initial round of elections, significantly benefiting Massa, who emerged as the clear victor, securing the top spot with 36.7% of the vote compared to Miley’s 30%.
Economy Minister and presidential candidate for the ruling party, Sergio Massa, greets supporters at a campaign rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Argentina’s Economy Minister and presidential candidate for the ruling party, Sergio Massa, interacts with supporters during a campaign event in Buenos Aires.
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Despite Argentina’s faltering economy, Massa has managed to distance himself from some of the more polarizing figures within the Peronist movement, including the current unpopular President Alberto Fernández and his vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who has been recently implicated in a corruption case. She has appealed the conviction.
Miley advocates for a radical solution for Argentina’s challenges
Miley is known for wielding a chainsaw in his campaigns, symbolizing his intention to completely dismantle the Argentine state. He has pledged to reduce public expenditure by at least 15% of the GDP, halve the number of government ministries, and abolish the central bank.
The latter is crucial in his commitment to combat inflation, which entails replacing the Argentine peso with the US dollar. (There are currently multiple exchange rates in Argentina).
Beyond economic matters, Miley advocates for relaxed gun regulations, opposes abortion, and proposes vouchers for private schools. He vows to maintain diplomatic relations only with the US and Israel, and refuses to engage with communist leaders. He emphasizes that this will not impede Argentine businesses and trade with the world, even with limited diplomatic ties. China stands as one of Argentina’s primary trading partners.
Massa advocates for gradual and steady reforms
Perceived as a more market-friendly centrist, Massa has refrained from unveiling significant economic reforms. He has articulated his intent to lower the fiscal deficit and enhance exports to replenish the nation’s dwindling dollar reserves.
In a recent television interview, he committed to renegotiating Argentina’s existing $44 billion debt with the International Monetary Fund. He asserts that any curtailment of Argentina’s generous subsidies, particularly for fuel and home energy, would be modest.
Ballots for the ruling party’s presidential candidates are seen on a street in Aziza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina.
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Ballots for the ruling party’s presidential candidates are seen on a street in Aziza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina.
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He has run a major campaign highlighting the potential costs of Miley’s cuts to public education, pensions, and healthcare for the electorate. In the months leading up to the elections, he eliminated certain income and sales taxes, a move critics alleged to be a means of appealing to voters.
What are the voters asserting?
Voting in Argentina is mandatory. The competition intensifies to secure votes from the over 6 million Argentinians who supported the center-right contender, placing third in the initial round of voting last month.
Patricia Bullrich represented the traditional adversaries of Peronism, yet she failed to capture the voters’ ire as effectively as Miley.
Both Bullrich and former President Mauricio Macri have endorsed Meili, even though the conservative coalition they represent has maintained neutrality in the race.
Many voters express concerns that Miley’s well-known persona and idiosyncrasies do not align with the gravity of the presidency. Some might reluctantly stick with the ruling party’s contender, Massa.
Others intend to submit a blank protest ballot.
Evidently, a substantial portion of the populace harbors apprehensions about the post-election economic landscape, regardless of the victor. Banks are accumulating peso and dollar reserves, apprehensive about what numerous economists anticipate as an inevitable devaluation of the national currency.
The voting deadline approaches, and if the tally is close, the election results may not be definitive on the night of the election. Miley’s campaign has already signaled its intention to contest the final results.
This week, it lodged a petition with election authorities, urging transparency in Sunday’s voting, and alleging “widespread fraud” in the first round last month, without furnishing evidence.
Source: www.npr.org
