Argentines chose freedom over more of the same old political tango

Special to WorldTribune.com

By John J. Metzler, November 23, 2023

Facing a tight and tense Presidential election showdown, Argentines chose Freedom.

In a stunning upset, the South American country elected an upstart libertarian candidate Javier Milea, an economist who promised to cut spending, reduce bloated budgets, and use economic shock therapy to save the resource rich country from its downward spiral.

The second round election came a month after both men emerged from a bruising multi-candidate contest. Economics Minister Sergio Massa, a professional politician and part of the center-left government faced off Javier Milea, (53) a TV commentator new to politics, who mixes populism with pragmatism.

Argentine President-elect Javier Milei: ‘Today, the impoverishing model of the omnipresent state – which only benefits some while the majority of Argentines suffer – ends.’ / Video Image

The result saw Milea gain a commanding 56 percent of the vote to 44 percent for the government candidate. Results were called less than two hours after the polls closed. Cheering crowds filled the streets of the capital Buenos Aires.

The political contenders were polar opposites in nearly every sense; One a man of the establishment, another a sometimes comically controversial populist with an appeal to the young voters and a bruised business sector; 76 percent of voters cast ballots.

Many observers describe Javier Milea as Argentina’s populist persona of former Brazilian President Jiar Bolsonaro or former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Milea’s new movement La Libertad Avanza (Liberty Advances) a political coalition, lacked the formal party structures and organization of the mainstream center-right party led by former President Mauricio Macri who lost four years ago but who supported Milea.

The election was set to the backdrop of Argentina’s drastic economic and social decline where a resource rich land seemed in a race to the bottom.  Inflation hovers at 140% while the national currency the Peso has sadly become just short of play money with 354 Pesos to the U.S. Dollar.

When this writer visited Argentina just a few years ago, the exchange rate stood at 38 Pesos to the 1 U.S. dollar.

The reasons are manifold but are rooted in a bloated social welfare state, combined with the enduring political cult of Peronism, a 1950’s hyper nationalist/populist/socialist dogma. High levels of corruption and cronyism have long eroded the national fabric.

Javier Milea’s formula: Abolish the Central Bank and U.S. Dollarize the currency. Whether this can work in an economy as large as Argentina is very debatable.

Argentina’s 46 million people nonetheless face the fact that 40 percent of their population live under the poverty rate! This echoes a shameful legacy of the ruling political class, and equally served as a powerful catalyst for change.

People tend to forget that during most of the 20th century, Argentina was a reasonably prosperous middle class country, a leader on the South American continent.  At first, the era of Juan and Evita Peron was able to live and give off the accumulated wealth of the past.  But by the 1960’s and 1970’s, money had run out and the debts became unmanageable.


People tend to forget that during most of the 20th century, Argentina was a reasonably prosperous middle class country, a leader on the South American continent.


The Falklands Islands military blunder with Britain in the 1980’s toppled a military junta from power and then actually brought democracy and a modicum of political stability to Argentina.

Yet, despite its economic problems, Argentina holds vast natural resources and remains a key agricultural producer.

China wants to vacuum up Argentina’s resources; China is currently Argentina’s second largest trading partner. Moreover, Beijing has access to a vital satellite tracking station in southern Patagonia. Through its Belt and Road Initiative Beijing has coaxed the Buenos Aires government into supporting Global South causes and to tilt away from Washington.

Now Beijing’s ambitions are hampered but not stopped with the win of the center-right government.

Javier Milei’s profile has soared recently. In the final TV debate between the two candidates, he made the case for shaking up the status quo: “Ask yourself if you prefer inflation over stability, if you prefer this decline in production and employment or if you prefer economic growth?”


China wants to vacuum up Argentina’s resources; China is currently Argentina’s second largest trading partner. Moreover, Beijing has access to a vital satellite tracking station in southern Patagonia.


Currently the country owes $44 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and faces a negative GDP growth rate of -2.5 percent.

Before entering the Casa Rosada (Presidential palace) in Buenos Aires on Dec. 10, Argentina’s president-elect will visit, Miami, New York and Israel.

In his victory speech president elect Milei stated, “Today Argentina’s reconstruction begins.”

The Argentine Left dances to a sad political tango, holding a strange sentimentality for Peronism’s socialist past. Thus, be assured that the new president will face strikes, demonstrations and     political calumnies as he tries to reset the national freedom agenda.

Milea won, but now look at what he inherits.

John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of Divided Dynamism the Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China (2014). [See pre-2011 Archives]