The Americas | A libertarian turn

Javier Milei, an Argentine libertarian, is rising in the polls

Annual inflation of 104% is boosting support for him

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - NOVEMBER 06: Javier Milei deputy candidate of La Libertad Avanza speaks to supporters during an event to close the campaign at Parque Lezama on November 6, 2021 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Deputy candidate Javier Milei of La Libertad Avanza party was the third most voted candidate in the primary elections in the city of Buenos Aires. (Photo by Ricardo Ceppi/Getty Images)

May 4th 2023|Buenos Aires

Drama is never far away from Argentinian politics. This year looks set to be particularly exciting. In October Argentines will go to the polls to elect a new government. For months the leading candidate to oppose the current Peronist government looked to be Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, the technocratic mayor of Buenos Aires, the capital. However with annual inflation at a 31-year-high of 104%, the widely used black-market peso depreciating in value and a severe drought affecting vast swathes of the countryside, it is clear that Argentines are looking for a radical shift.

This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “A libertarian turn”