Javier Milei, a libertarian candidate from the La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances) party, is in the lead in Sunday’s primary presidential election in Argentina. With 84% of the vote counted, Milei had 30.73% of the votes, while candidates from Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) and Unidos por la Patria (United for the Homeland) received 28.14% and 26.84%, respectively. This result was unexpected, as pre-election polls suggested Milei would finish no higher than third.
Milei has been vocal in his advocacy for the elimination of the central bank, saying, The central bank is a scam, a mechanism by which politicians cheat the good people with inflationary tax. He has also spoken favorably of Bitcoin, claiming it represents the return of money to its original creator, the private sector. While Milei has not advocated for Bitcoin’s use as legal tender within Argentina, he has called for a dollarization of the economy, which currently is dealing with a triple-digit rate of inflation.
The general election among the winner for each party will be held in October, and if no one receives 45% in that vote, a final runoff vote will be held in November.