Libertarian outsider Javier Milei pulled off a massive upset in Argentina's presidential election Sunday, November 19, winning around 56 % of the vote, provisional results showed.
His rival, Economy Minister Sergio Massa, had around 44 % of the total, with 86 % of votes counted. Massa has conceded defeat to Milei.
A self-described anarcho-capitalist, Milei made headlines with his unconventional proposals that include making the US dollar the official currency as a way of ending the scourge of triple-digit inflation. He also proposed to slash the size of the state and rein in inflation.
Massa, who received 7 % points more than Milei in the first round of voting last month, spent the final weeks of the campaign warning how his opponent’s proposal to slash the size of the state would threaten public services, including health and education.
Milei, for his part, accused Massa and his allies of fear-mongering. Throughout the campaign, Milei said the nation’s leadership needed a broad shakeup in order to tackle the country’s perennial economic woes. He cast Massa as the example of the "political caste" that has enriched itself at the cost of the people.
Populist candidate Javier Milei, who got his start as a television talking head, has frequently been compared to former US President Donald Trump. He and Economy Minister Sergio Massa of the Peronist party, which has been a leading force in Argentine politics for decades, were competing in the runoff.