Javier Milei has a shock plan to rebuild Argentina, but the strength of the ballot box comes up against parliamentary fragility

In front of the hotel where Javier Milei improvised his campaign headquarters, María Julia García, 39 years old, cannot contain her emotion. “Milei’s victory renews hope in democracy. We were trapped in a system, but today we demonstrated that we can break the system to start again from other bases. Milei demonstrated that he has this strength and we have faith in him”, she says.

María Julia is from La Matanza, an impoverished outskirt of Buenos Aires, which, with two million inhabitants, is the second most populous municipality in the country, just behind the capital. It is an electoral stronghold of Peronism, whose candidate, Sergio Massa, was defeated in the second round of the presidential elections this Sunday. Of the 135 municipalities in the province of Buenos Aires, Milei won in 108. Of the 24 Argentine provinces, he received the most votes in 21.

“I believe that Milei will do things well, because he is an economist and Argentina’s biggest problem is the economy”, says María Julia. Next to her, 22-year-old Dana Durante feels like she can now have a future. “I feel the possibility of a different life. With Milei’s victory, I will be able to choose my life, plan my future with freedom. I feel free, finally”, she celebrates.