Firebrand’s hefty dose of libertarianism aims to cure Argentina’s economic ills
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Narrated by Ryan Bourne
Javier Milei is not your quintessential politician. The goalkeeper turned rock-band member turned libertarian economist, known for his eccentric, shaggy-haired appearance, is nevertheless the favourite to win Argentina’s presidential election. While he may not triumph outright on Sunday, he is likely to advance to the second round, with good prospects of winning.
The Anglo-American press has bemoaned his ascent, because Milei offends progressive sensibilities. In wild media appearances, he can both lecture on free-market economics while denouncing Argentina’s ruling elites as a “caste”. He wields a chainsaw on the campaign trail to signify his desire to slash government spending, would abandon the peso for the dollar, and wants to implement a US-centric foreign policy. For this and his fiery style, he’s been dubbed “populist”, “far
