Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, has vowed to radically transform the country’s economy and politics after winning a tight runoff against the incumbent Sergio Massa on Sunday. Milei, a far-right populist and libertarian economist, received 51.2% of the votes, while Massa, a centrist Peronist, got 48.8%, according to the official results.
Milei, who has been compared to Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, campaigned on a platform of abolishing the central bank, cutting public spending, loosening gun laws, legalizing the sale of human organs, and withdrawing from regional trade blocs such as Mercosur and Unasur. He also promised to end Argentina’s long-standing disputes with the International Monetary Fund and other creditors, and to restore the country’s sovereignty and dignity.