The election of libertarian Javier Millais as president of Argentina has brought disappointment to the Brazilian left, who had hoped to continue their close relationship with the country’s current president, Alberto Fernandez. However, despite the support given to Sergio Massa’s campaign by the Brazilian left, Miley won by a wide margin.
In an effort to boost Masa’s election campaign and finance businesses from Brazilian businessmen to Argentines, marketing experts from Brazil’s PT were sent. However, these efforts did not produce the expected results and Miley emerged victorious.
Lula da Silva, the PT national president in Brazil, wished the elected libertarian “good luck” but did not nominate him in his first demonstration shortly after his victory was confirmed. It is expected that Lula will call Miley at some point, although a date has not yet been set.
Gleisi Hoffmann, the national president of the PT in Brazil, recognized Miley’s victory and classified it as “a new and very difficult test for her democracy.” Another PT member, federal deputy Lindberg Farias (RJ), took a harsher tone against Miley’s victory, believing that he would “sink” Argentina and “isolate” it from other countries in Latin America.
Some members of the PT have warned that Miley’s election serves as a warning to Brazil and that extreme-right forces are on the rise globally. They believe that Argentina’s choice of a libertarian will have negative consequences for both countries and for the region as a whole. On the other hand, another PT member tried to avoid a left-wing defeatist tone and compared Miley’s election to Brazil’s 2022 presidential election.
Despite their disappointment over Miley’s victory, it is clear that Brazil and Argentina are likely to have different political relationships with each other going forward with a libertarian president in Argentina.