08/13/2023
In a surprise, open presidential primary leader is populist far-right candidate Javier Milei, who won almost 30% of the vote. Economist and legislator Milei founded the Libertad Avanza (Liberty Advances) party in 2021 in opposition to the political caste of Argentine politics. He has proposed making the US dollar the national currency, abolishing the central bank, slashing taxes, reducing government, and other fundamental changes to health care and education. Patricia Bullrich, the presidential candidate of the right-liberal opposition alliance "Juntos por el Cambio" (Together for Change) and leader of the party of former president Mauricio Macri, won almost 17% of the vote. She opposes dollarization, but has advocated some positions similar to Milei’s. The other "Juntos por el Cambio" candidate, Horacio Larreta, won 11%, bringing the party's total share of the vote to around 28%. Left-wing Sergio Massa of the government alliance "Union por la Patria" (Union for the Homeland) — has set himself up as the opponent of the economically liberal section of the political landscape. Many see Union por la Patria, whose two candidates won about 27% of the vote, as the big loser in these primaries. Milei, Bullrich, and Massa will be the candidates in the final round of the presidential election in October.
