Argentina has elected self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist libertarian Javier Milei as its next president. The result of Sunday’s second round of elections will mean radical changes in South America’s second-largest economy, which will now be led by one of the most bizarre figures in modern politics.
An economist turned lawmaker, Milei’s abrasive political style, unruly hair, anti-communist ravings and taste for conspiracies have earned him comparisons to Donald Trump and support from right-wing figures in American media and international politics.
While wielding chainsaws as campaign props and sporting “Make Argentina Great Again” hats, Milei, nicknamed “El Loco,” promised drastic cuts in government spending and social programs in order to curb soaring inflation. As Argentina prepares for what promises to be one of the most important presidencies in decades, here’s what you need to know about Javier Milei.
He’s an anarcho-capitalist libertarian… most of the time
Basically, Milei really, really wants very, smaller government, responsible only for maintaining justice and security of the State. On a viral video, Milei was filmed ripping tags with the names of a series of government agencies off a whiteboard. The ministries under her command include: Education (“Indoctrination”); Culture; Environment and Sustainable Development; Women, Genders and Diversity; Public works; Science, Technology and Innovation; Transport; Health; and Social development.
They are all “out,” as he said, “even if (they) resist.”
As a libertarian, Milei supports the legalization of sex work, increased civilian access to weapons, and the decriminalization of drugs. He also stated that he is largely indifferent same-sex marriage and gender expression issues. However, his commitment to personal freedoms has been described as inconsistent when compared with his ultra-conservative commitment. opinions on abortion, which is opposed in practically all circumstances, including cases of rape. At the beginning of this year, Milei proposed Argentina hold a referendum to overturn the law that established the right to abortion in 2020.
He says he is a tantric sex guru
Milei’s journey into politics began largely through appearances on various Argentine TV channels. On a interviewMilei revealed that he was not only a libertarian in the economic sense, but also in his personal life.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Milei responded when asked if he supported open relationships and non-monogamy, adding that, in his opinion, relationships should operate under the same principles of competition as the free market. “I don’t like monopolies,” he said.
In another interview, Milei spoke openly about having had threesomes and previously working as a tantric sex coach. At one point, Milei revealed that through the practice of tantra he was able to avoid ejaculation for up to three months.
Interestingly, Milei considered comprehensive sexuality education be a form of socialist indoctrination by the left.
He cloned his dead dog and consults the clones for political advice
Milei considered his now deceased English Mastiff Conan (named after Conan the Barbarian) his son, so much so that he cloned him. Milei now owns four of these cloned mastiffs, one named after the original Conan and the others named after famous conservative economists. He considers the clones his grandchildren. In his opinion, cloning is a way of “getting closer to eternity”.
The president-elect dedicated his victory on Sunday for his fur babies, but it’s not the first time Conan and his progeny have been mentioned as an integral part of his campaign. Milei revealed earlier this year that he communicates with his four-legged children through a mystic and that each dog plays a distinct advisory role.
Milei also indicated that, through his medium, he was able to communicate with famous economists such as Murray Rothbard and Ayn Rand. He even claimed to have communicated with Godwhich convinced him to start a career in politics.
He supports the sale of human organs and perhaps children
Milei, a lover of the free market, indicated his support for the private sale of human organs.
In June last year, Milei stated that she would legalize the sale of organs, which is currently illegal in Argentina: “If your daughter is about to die and you need to pay for a (medical) intervention. If someone wants to buy your kidney and you can sell it. The solution is very painful, you are giving up an agency and, if you also add state regulation, it is worse. I’m talking about social cooperation and voluntary exchanges. It is the decision of individuals.”
“If liberalism is the unrestricted respect for the lives of others, based on the principle of non-aggression and the defense of the right to life, liberty and property; and my first property is my body, so why shouldn’t I be able to do what I want with my body?” he said in another interview.
The comments sparked controversy, as Milei was essentially suggesting that an individual sell a kidney and undergo invasive surgery in order to be able to afford a separate medical procedure to save a loved one’s life. Furthermore, the black market trade Organ harvesting has often been associated with organized crime in many South American countries and often results in the exploitation of poor individuals.
What Milei was willing to see on the free market once again sparked controversy when he suggested it could be open to the sale of children. In 2022, when asked If he supported the right to sell children, Milei replied “it depends”.
He clarified that while he personally wouldn’t sell a child, it’s all a matter of context. “This is not what Argentine society is discussing, perhaps 200 years from now,” he added.
compassion later stated that his comments were misrepresented and that he was “obviously not in favor of selling children”.
He’s a Trump fan, and Trump is his fan
After Milei’s victory on Sunday, Trump congratulated him in Social Truth. “Congratulations to Javier Milei on his great run for president of Argentina. The whole world was watching! I am very proud of you”, wrote the former president. “You will change your country and truly make Argentina great again!”
It’s true that Milei embraced her own version of MAGA politics and even flaunted your own “Make Argentina Great Again” hats.
A staunch populist who managed an underdog bid for president amid a wave of public anger against the system, the comparisons between Trump and Milei are easy to see, with uniquely bizarre hairstyles to boot. Milei followed one of Trump’s most infamous tactics in his rise to the presidency: preemptively claiming election interference to protect against a potential loss.
Milei has expressed her desire to improve the relationship between the United States, and with Trump remaining the front-runner in the Republican primaries, a future relationship with Milei could mirror Trump’s past relationship with other right-wing leaders in the Americas, such as the former president of Brazil, JairBolsonaro.
He REALLY hates the left
Milei is, at heart, a cultural warrior. A soldier in cultural battle unfolding in Latin and South America, Milei, like many of the most staunch cultural warlords of the American right, is bitterly antagonistic to left-wing politics.
“Leftist sons of bitches,” “shitty leftists,” and “filthy leftists” are just some of the descriptors Milei uses to describe his political opposition, and much of his rhetoric about progressive values is practically a word-for-word translation of the kind of language used by the American right.
Milei accuses “cultural Marxists” of promoting feminism, environmental sustainability, gender ideology, diversity initiatives and social welfare that (in her opinion) will inevitably turn Argentina into a socialist hell. Sound familiar?
“You can’t give the leftists a millimeter of shit, because if you give them an millimeter, they will use it to destroy you,” he exclaimed in a tone-deaf tone. interview now viral earlier this year. In his own political platform, Milei has promised to take the metaphorical chainsaw to the Argentine government bodies and organizations that he sees as the most prominent promoters of leftist ideology.
