Everything you need to know about Javier Miley, the extreme liberal who will participate in the second round of the presidential elections

After qualifying for the second round of Argentina’s presidential elections, Javier Miley, the ultra-liberal economist and self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” has shaken the Argentine political scene.

It was not known until a few years ago that Javier Miley achieved such a rapid political rise. The provocative economist qualified for the second round of the presidential elections in Argentina, receiving 30% of the votes in the first round, which was less than what opinion polls expected.

Born in Buenos Aires, he studied economics at the University of Belgrano, and became famous for his television appearances and scathing economic analyses. He quickly became one of the most influential figures in the Argentine media scene. He was particularly known for his unusual style and aggressive tone during discussions. He then moved into politics in 2020, and was elected as a deputy in 2021 under the title of La Libertad Avanza, the party he founded in the same year.

The 53-year-old wants to make Argentina a “world power” and restore its “greatness.” A speech reminiscent of Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” speech. He claims to be a libertarian liberal, and calls for non-interference of the state in the economic sector. His speech quickly won the approval of a portion of the Argentine population as the country sank into inflation, which has reached 103% since the beginning of the year.

Radical positions

A hardline liberal, Javier Miley particularly wants to adopt the US dollar as the currency, abolish the Argentine Central Bank, privatize all public companies and significantly reduce government spending. On the fiscal front, he advocates a significant reduction in taxes and the elimination of some taxes.

In addition to his radical stance on economics, Javier Miley also had more than controversial positions on social issues. He notably positioned himself in favor of the free purchase of firearms and human organs, in the name of “freedom to dispose of one’s body”, before backing down. He is also completely against abortion, which was legalized in Argentina in 2020 and was a historic victory for women’s rights activists. Javier Miley has repeatedly suggested that this law could be withdrawn if he comes to power.

A colorful character, he lives with four English Mastiffs weighing more than 100 kilograms, each bearing the name of a liberal economist. He is also very present on social media, especially on TikTok, where he hopes to impress young people.

On November 19, during the second round of the presidential elections, he will have to face Sergio Massa, 51 years old, the current Minister of Economy in the center-left government, who received 36.6% of the votes in the first round.