In Argentina, which is struggling with economic difficulties, an eccentric far-right candidate has been elected president.
President-elect Javier Millais has been called the Trump of Argentina.
He made radical pledges, such as dismantling the central bank and legalizing organ trading, and even showed up at a campaign rally holding a chainsaw, saying government spending should be cut down.
Analysis suggests that this is the result of public sentiment turning against the left-wing government due to the worst economic crisis.
Reporter Kyung-mi Lee reports.
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″We will dismantle the central bank and replace the peso with dollars.″
Javier Millais, an extreme right-winger who made unconventional and extreme economic promises, was elected President of Argentina with 55% of the vote.
Millay announced his victory by saying, “I will restore the lost prosperity of Argentina, which was a wealthy country with a free economy in the 19th century.”
[하비에르 밀레이/아르헨티나 대통령 당선인]
“We went from being the richest country in the world to being the 130th richest country in the world today. Half of Argentina’s citizens are poor, and the remaining 10% are extremely poor. We must stop the vicious cycle of poverty.″
Millay, 53, has been serving as a first-term member of the House of Representatives since 2021, but was almost an outsider with little political presence.
He, who was literally a non-mainstream economist, began to attract attention when he took first place in the presidential primary election last August.
He was called Argentina’s Trump for his outspokenness and unrefined gestures, and he rallied his support base with a performance carrying a chainsaw, saying, “Government spending must be drastically reduced.”
Foreign media outlets analyzed that although there was great anxiety about far-right candidates locally, the theory of judging the left-wing government gained strength due to the worst economic crisis with an inflation rate of 142%.
[실비아 콘스탄첼로/아르헨티나 시민]
“I want change in Argentina, which I love very much. We have been regressing for a long time. Millais seemed like a good choice. There is no need for Peron leftism any more.″
Millais also announced the legalization of ophthalmology and organ sales, which would reduce the current number of government departments from 18 to a maximum of 8.
During the election process, he distanced himself from China and Brazil and showed pro-American and pro-Israel moves, and publicly stated that he would “not do business with China.”
President-elect Millay will be inaugurated as president for a four-year term on the 10th of next month.
This is Gyeongmi Lee from MBC News.
Video Editing: Choi Moon-jeong
