The right-wing Javier Milei shocked the Argentine political caste
He came out as the most voted politician in the preliminary race to qualify as a presidential candidate in the October general elections.
Mr. Milei wants to eliminate the Central Bank of Argentina, says that sex education in schools is a conspiracy to destroy the family.
In a speech from his headquarters, Mr. Milei vowed to “put an end to the parasitic, corrupt and useless caste that exists in this country,” as he put it.
“Today we took the first step towards rebuilding Argentina,” he says. “A different Argentina is impossible with the same people.”
“These are the old people who have always failed, the same old people who have failed in the last 100 years,” added Mr. Milei.
With 92 percent of the votes counted by Sunday evening, analysts agree that the candidate who rose to fame and popularity by passionately criticizing the so-called “political caste,” exceeded expectations.
Milei received 30 percent of the votes, while the main candidate of the opposition coalition, United for Change, won 28 percent and the candidate of the governing coalition received 27 percent.
The first results suggest that Argentina is the last country in the region where voters are supporting candidates who do not belong to the current political class as a way of expressing their discontent against traditional politicians.
In Argentina, discontent is palpable among voters.
The country is facing annual inflation of over 100 percent, increasing poverty and currency devaluation.
Mr. Milei gained support with his idea for Argentina to replace its currency, the peso, with the US dollar.