The two presidential candidates represent starkly different futures for Argentina, which is reeling under triple-digit inflation after decades of debt, economic mismanagement and currency volatility.
Sunday’s second and decisive round of the presidential election takes place in a situation described as polarized. Many are forced to vote for the one they consider to be the least bad option.
“Unfortunately, you have to choose one of the two,” says the 55-year-old florist Pablo Rivera, who is leaning towards giving Milei his vote.
The even opinion polls point to the fact that it could be a close election.
Controversial candidate
The populist Javier Milei has been compared to former US President Donald Trump and has been rewritten for his controversial statements. He advocates the legal sale of human organs, wants to “blow up” the central bank and introduce the US dollar as the new currency.
But what perhaps most attracted voters is his anger at the political establishment. Milei’s success in the primary came as a shock to many. In the first round of elections in October, however, things did not go as well as the polls suggested.
In the second round of elections, Milei is pitted against the centrist candidate Sergio Massa, current economy minister who belongs to the Peronist coalition Unión por la Patria.
Massa has been praised for successfully renegotiating the repayment of a multibillion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund, but is also blamed for increasing poverty and failing to stem rampant inflation.
Statesmanlike?
During the election campaign, Massa has tried to portray himself as the calm, statesmanlike opposite of Milei.
The polling stations open at 8 (12, Swedish time) and close ten hours later.
Voting is done on paper, which makes the count unpredictable – but the first results are expected around three hours after the polls close.
Argentine presidential candidates Javier Milei (left) and Sergio Massa.