It was an unprecedented move: on the evening of November 19, when 53-year-old ultralibertarian Javier Milei won Argentina's presidential election, it was his sister, Karina Milei, 50, who first appeared at the podium in front of his supporters. The crowd responded with a standing ovation, chanting, "Olé, olé, olé, jefe, jefe!" Jefe, Spanish for "leader," is the masculine nickname publicly attributed to her by her brother.
Karina Milei had her usual broad smile and the same light-colored eyes as her brother. Her speech was brief, just long enough to introduce "the president-elect," who will take office on December 10, and who owes her a great deal: she thrives less in the limelight and more behind the scenes.
Event organization, the selection of the entourage, political strategy, schedule management, legal and even financial matters... Karina has been keeping a tight rein on everything since Javier entered politics when he was elected as a deputy in 2021. "She has the most influence over Javier Milei. Yet she has no political experience; [just over] two years ago, she was still selling cakes on Instagram," noted Juan Luis González, journalist and author of the unauthorized biography of Javier Milei, El Loco ("The Madman," Grupo Planeta, untranslated).
This placid-looking woman, single and childless like her brother, has had a rollercoaster career. With a degree in public relations, she also studied pastry-making and practiced painting and sculpture. According to the daily newspaper La Nación, she also ran a tire repair shop. "The sister has no experience of power!" vituperated Carlos Maslatón shortly before the presidential election. Maslatón was formerly an informal advisor to Javier Milei, before being dismissed by... Karina Milei.
Maslatón criticized her for having lacked political intuition when, this year, she set up the lists for the governors' elections (the highest position in regional executive branches) in the provinces, mixing complete unknowns with old political wolves. It was a fiasco. The coalition failed to win a single race, which will be a significant disadvantage for Javier Milei, given Argentina's federal structure. As president, he will not be able to rely on governors from his coalition, nor, for that matter, on a majority in Congress.
Nonetheless, Karina Milei retains an unshakeable influence within her brother's party, La Libertad Avanza. "She attends every meeting. She's very observant, skilful and intelligent," remarked a party official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Javier Milei has boundless admiration for her. "She's the most wonderful human being that exists on earth. She has a monstrous capacity for work," he said in an interview with TN, a television channel, in August. In another interview, in September 2021, he claimed that the bond between them was even spiritual: "Moses was a great leader, but he wasn't a good messenger, so God sent Aaron to him. Kari is Moses and I'm the messenger."
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