On Sunday, Argentinians will vote to pick the person who will be in charge of their country for the next four years.
The polls say that two guys, Sergio Massa and Javier Milei, are really close in the race. One is into left-wing ideas about the economy, and the other is more on the far-right with libertarian views.
In the first round, Mr. Massa got 36.7% of the votes, and Mr. Milei got 30%, so Mr. Massa was ahead. But now, it seems like Mr. Milei has gained more support according to the polls. He’s the guy who said he wants to “blow up” Argentina’s political system.
Voting starts at 8:00 in the morning and finishes at 6:00 in the evening, local time.
Many Argentinians are struggling because 40% of them live in poverty. The biggest worries for voters are the high prices of things and the rapid increase in inflation, which makes everything more expensive.
It surprised a lot of people when Mr. Massa, who was in charge of the country’s economy ministry as the inflation rate hit a high 143%, came in first place ahead of Mr. Milei in the first round on October 22.
Mr. Massa didn’t get enough votes to win outright, so he’s facing Mr. Milei again in the final round. The candidate who came in third, Patricia Bullrich, is supporting Mr. Milei, and most of her voters are expected to do the same.
Surveys suggest Mr. Milei is slightly ahead, making Sunday’s final vote a tense finish to a heated election. Javier Milei is an economist who talks against the usual way of doing things, and many young voters like that. His party, founded in 2018, is seen as a fresh start, and people are willing to try his radical ideas after years of economic problems.
Mr. Milei wants to use the US dollar instead of the local currency, the peso, and he’s said he would “blow up” Argentina’s central bank. He’s controversial on social issues, too, saying he’ll get rid of sex education in schools, loosen gun laws, and allow buying and selling of human organs. He’s known for making strong statements, even attacking Pope Francis and dressing in a distinctive way, like wearing a leather jacket and carrying a chainsaw. Many people really support him.
Sergio Massa, 51, is an experienced politician who used to lead the Chamber of Deputies and later became the economy minister in 2022. He’s telling voters that he has the know-how to improve the country’s struggling economy.
Mr. Massa promises to keep supporting the poor with welfare payments and cheaper public transportation. On social issues, he’s open-minded, supporting Argentina’s recent decision to allow abortion. He’s also concerned about climate change, which is different from Mr. Milei, who doesn’t believe in it.
Even though Mr. Massa is trying to convince undecided voters to choose him over Mr. Milei, who he sees as a problem, some people are just too unhappy with his political party, the Peronists, and have already said they won’t vote for him, according to polls.
“Explore further details about this news from the original source at BBC by clicking the following link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67439899