How Javier Milei’s transformation of Argentina is coming at a cost

Austerity is delivering mixed results, but poverty is at a 20-year high

Listen | 23:10
Argentinian president Javier Milei after delivering a fiery speech at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in January. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images.
Argentinian president Javier Milei after delivering a fiery speech at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in January. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images.

Nearly four months have passed since the libertarian economist Javier Milei won a decisive victory in Argentina’s presidential election.

The controversial politician vowed to make drastic changes and swift reforms to rescue the country’s fragile economy, including large cuts to public spending. He dissolved half the country’s ministries within days of taking office and devalued the peso by 50 per cent, yet prices continued to spiral.

Inflation has now eased, but unrest has grown as poverty in the country has hit a 20-year high. And Milei has struggled to find the political support to implement his vision, despite ditching some of his more extreme campaign pledges.

Tom Hennigan, who joined the podcast last December to discuss Milei’s election, returns to tell the story of Milei’s administration so far.

READ MORE

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish Times reporter specialising in immigration issues and cohost of the In the News podcast