Argentina is bracing for a closely contested and uncertain presidential election on Sunday, as voters remain divided and undecided. Some voters claim that they may only make a decision once they are at the ballot box, creating the potential for last-minute surprises. The election presents a tight three-way race between radical outsider Javier Milei, incumbent Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, and center-right former security minister Patricia Bullrich, each offering contrasting visions for the country.
Soledad Sanchez, a public accountant in Buenos Aires, expressed her indecisiveness, stating, “I will vote for whomever seems the least bad. But I tell you I’m 50-50 until Sunday.” She admitted to oscillating between the two main opposition candidates, Bullrich and Milei, and concluded, “Let’s see what vote I put in the envelope.”
Libertarian economist Milei is currently leading in the polls but is likely to face a second round. Massa is positioned ahead of Bullrich to secure the second runoff spot, although previous poll predictions have been unreliable. Argentina, being one of the world’s top grain exporters, the largest debtor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and possessing significant reserves of shale oil, gas, and lithium, finds itself at a crucial juncture.
Yamila Papina, a public sector worker in the capital, supports Massa, the candidate of the center-left government. She expressed concerns about Milei’s proposals to reduce the size of the state and cut spending, stating, “In that system the divides are going to be increasingly wide… I don’t want that model at all. There’s no debate who I will vote for in these elections. It will be Sergio Massa.”
Bullrich, backed by many in the local business community due to her strong and stable message, has seen her support decline with the surprising surge of far-right competitor Milei. Seen as the conservative establishment candidate, Bullrich is respected for her security focus. Hernan Etchaleco, director of a local communications consultancy firm, described Bullrich as the “most rational” candidate who proposes change that is “expected and reasonable.”
Milei, who garnered attention after an unexpected victory in the August primary and has consistently been leading in recent polls, has resonated with voters, particularly the discontented youth facing economic hardships. With inflation at 138% and a significant portion of the population living in poverty, 24-year-old Agustin Geist, who was born before the last major economic crisis, believes it is time for change. He said, “It seems to me that it is time for change, to see how we can alter the reality of the country.”
Reporting by Horacio Soria and Juan Bustamante; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Daniel Wallis
