Javier Milei

Javier Gerardo Milei is an Argentine economist, author, and politician who became the 59th President of Argentina on 10 December 2023 after winning the November 2023 runoff against Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa with roughly 56% of the vote. He leads La Libertad Avanza (LLA), a party he founded in 2021, and previously served briefly as a national deputy for the City of Buenos Aires (2021–2023).

Milei describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist in philosophy and a minarchist in practice. His campaign was defined by pledges to slash the size of the state, dollarize the Argentine economy, abolish the central bank (BCRA), and apply a "chainsaw" (motosierra) to public spending. Upon taking office, his government devalued the peso by roughly 50%, cut the number of ministries, eliminated or merged numerous public agencies, and pursued sweeping deregulation through emergency decree DNU 70/2023 and the so-called Ley Bases (Law 27.742), enacted in 2024.

In foreign policy, Milei has aligned Argentina closely with the United States and Israel, downgraded engagement with China and Brazil rhetorically, and declined to join the BRICS bloc despite Argentina's prior invitation under predecessor Alberto Fernández. He has been a vocal critic of socialism, "social justice," and what he calls the international progressive agenda, delivering combative speeches at the World Economic Forum in Davos (2024) and the UN General Assembly.

Domestically, his shock therapy produced a sharp recession and rising poverty in early 2024 but also Argentina's first fiscal surplus in over a decade and a decline in monthly inflation from peaks above 25% to single digits later in 2024. His style — wild hair, leather jackets, and rallies featuring a chainsaw prop — has made him a reference point for the global populist right and a frequent subject of MUN crisis simulations on Latin American economic policy.