Argentina Election: Javier Milei’s Victory Thrusts Country Into Uncharted Waters

 Javier Milei, a volatile far-right libertarian often compared to Donald Trump, has been elected President of Argentina, ushering in an uncertain future and probable volatility for South America’s second largest economy.

Milei had 55.69% of the vote with more than 99% of the votes recorded, compared to 44.3% for his opponent, centre-left Finance Minister Sergio Massa. Milei vowed “drastic changes” to combat the country’s “tragic reality” of skyrocketing inflation and widespread poverty.

Massa has conceded defeat, despite receiving 11.5 million votes to his opponent’s 14.4 million. He announced that he had called with Milei to congratulate him on his victory and that he would step down from front-line politics, remarking that “Argentinians have chosen another path.”

Milei will be sworn in on December 10. During his campaign, he promised to eliminate the central bank and dollarize the economy in order to address Argentina’s financial crisis, which has pushed 40% of the country’s 45 million people into poverty and inflation to over 140%.

Left-wing opponents of the President-elect expressed surprise at the election of a notoriously unpredictable person whose radical proposals include legalizing the sale of organs, breaking connections with Argentina’s two largest economic partners, Brazil and China, and closing several ministries.