Argentina elects new libertarian president

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Argentina president-elect Javier Milei, center, his sister Karina, right, and his running mate Victoria Villarruel. The Associated Press/Photo by Natacha Pisarenko, File

Argentina elects new libertarian president

Conservative candidate Javier Milei on Sunday won the election to become Argentina’s next president. Milei beat Economy Minister Sergio Massa with nearly 56 percent of the votes. Massa conceded before all of the votes were tallied. Milei, 53, is a libertarian economist and former television pundit. He entered politics in 2020 and was elected to the lower house of Argentina’s Congress the following year. His presidential term will begin next month.

What are some of his priorities? Milei has prioritized bolstering the nation’s economy amid high inflation and rising poverty. He pledged to swap the national currency from the peso to the United States dollar, cut government spending, and eliminate the Central Bank. Milei is also staunchly pro-life and supports looser gun laws.

Dig deeper: Listen to Noah Burgdorf’s report on The WORLD and Everything in It podcast about Guatemala’s president-elect.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.