Chaos in Argentina: Milei Rally Attacked by Protesters
Protesters pelt Argentine President's motorcade in Buenos Aires.
Chaos erupted in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province, as demonstrators hurled rocks and bottles at President Javier Milei’s campaign convoy on Wednesday. The libertarian leader, unharmed but shaken, was forced to cut short a high-stakes rally in the heart of Argentina’s Peronist stronghold, just days before critical provincial elections.
The attack unfolded as Milei, alongside his sister and chief of staff, Karina Milei, rode through the streets in a pickup truck with key Liberty Advances party candidates. The crowd, a mix of cheering supporters and furious protesters, grew volatile. Shouts of “Out with Milei!” echoed as objects flew toward the motorcade, prompting security to whisk the president to safety.
The incident comes at a pivotal moment for Milei, whose party is vying for control in the September 7 Buenos Aires legislative elections and the October 26 national midterms. These races are a referendum on Milei’s economic reforms, which have slashed monthly inflation from 25% in December 2023 to 1.9% last month but sparked unrest over declining purchasing power and rising unemployment.
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Tensions were already high amid a corruption scandal implicating Karina Milei and her advisor in alleged bribery, as revealed in leaked audio last week. Opposition lawmakers further challenged Milei’s fiscal agenda by passing spending measures that threaten his budget surplus.
Protesters cited both the scandal and Milei’s austerity policies as their motivation. “It’s the injustice, the hypocrisy,” said Joel Domínguez, a local father. “My daughter has a disability, and his policies hurt us directly.”
Milei’s spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, pointed fingers at supporters of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, calling them “violent activists of the old politics.” Security Minister Patricia Bullrich claimed Fernández’s movement orchestrated the attack, endangering families at the rally. Despite her corruption conviction and house arrest, Fernández remains a towering figure in Peronism.
As Milei’s convoy fled under a barrage of objects, one lawmaker, José Luis Espert, even escaped on a supporter’s motorcycle. The violence underscores the deep divisions in Argentina as Milei’s outsider revolution faces fierce resistance.
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