Milei Crushes Macri in Buenos Aires, Reshaping Argentina’s Right-Wing Politics
Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party delivered a stunning blow to former President Mauricio Macri’s Pro party in Buenos Aires municipal elections Sunday.
The libertarian president’s candidates secured approximately 30% of votes, relegating Macri’s once-dominant Pro party to third place with just 16%.
This municipal contest transformed into a high-stakes battle for control of Argentina’s conservative political space. The Peronist coalition claimed second place with around 27% despite deliberately distancing itself from former President Cristina Kirchner, who remains unpopular among capital city voters.
Voter turnout reached only 53%, a significant drop from 75% in 2023, despite Argentina‘s mandatory voting laws. The century-old Radical Civic Union party suffered a catastrophic collapse, securing a mere 2.3% of votes and falling to eighth place.
Milei immediately elevated the local victory to national significance. “Today the yellow bastion was painted violet, and from now on we will paint the whole country violet,” he declared, referencing the parties’ respective colors.
The president even canceled a planned trip to Rome to remain in Argentina for the election results. The victory strengthens Milei’s position ahead of crucial negotiations with Macri regarding the October 26 national legislative elections.
Buenos Aires Province, home to 40% of Argentina’s voters and currently under Peronist control, represents the next major battleground. Tensions between the two right-wing leaders have escalated dramatically.
Argentina’s Political Rift Deepens Over AI-Generated Fake Video
Macri accused Milei’s supporters of distributing an AI-generated video falsely showing him withdrawing his candidate and endorsing Milei’s representative. Milei dismissed these concerns as whining and called the fake news an innocent joke.
Just months ago, Milei considered Macri a political mentor. Now their relationship appears irreparably damaged. “This is not acceptable, without any kind of respect,” Macri stated after the results emerged.
He reminded voters that his party supported Milei’s government initiatives “in exchange for nothing.” The election results signal a fundamental realignment of Argentina’s political landscape.
Milei’s representative, Manuel Adorni, extended an olive branch to potential defectors from Macri’s camp: “Gentlemen, clean slate. Anyone who supports our agenda is welcome.”
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This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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