Argentina is now in the final week of a presidential election that has entailed five months of campaigning, two currency runs, unfounded allegations of fraud and two preliminary elections that have pitted Peronist candidate Sergio Massa against the ultra-conservative Javier Milei in a run-off election on November 19. The candidates have nothing new to say to each other, and this Sunday’s debate demonstrated that. This time the roles were reversed between the current minister of an economy in crisis and an outsider who reached this stage by criticizing his opponent. Massa spent the whole debate slamming Milei for the proposals he says he no longer wants to pursue, while Milei was dragged through the mud trying to defend himself.
Here are some highlights from the debate.
“Don’t get aggressive because it’s a long debate”
Argentines had been speculating for the past few weeks whether Milei would be willing to show up for a debate under the new rules: in this Sunday’s showdown, the candidates were not allowed to take in notes and had the right to free reply. Massa used this to his advantage in the section where he had more chances of losing — the section on the economy — which opened the debate with Milei’s contribution. They each had six minutes, and Massa besieged his opponent with questions about the program he presented before the Electoral Tribunal. He quizzed him on whether he was going to eliminate subsidies, privatize the state’s gas and oil fields, privatize the rivers and seas, dollarize the economy and eliminate the Central Bank.
“You’re a liar. If you were Pinocchio, you would have hurt my eye,” replied Milei, who spent most of his time attacking the government, of which Massa serves as minister of economy. “You have destroyed our income,” said Milei. “With you as minister, income fell by 33%, which had already been declining under [former president Mauricio] Macri,” replied the ultraconservative contender, who finished by slamming Macri who had endorsed him less than two weeks ago. “The first thing I’m going to do is give you some advice. Don’t get aggressive because it’s a long debate and people are expecting answers,” said Massa emphatically. “I didn’t attack you, I’m just passionately expressing the indignation caused by a government that has been destroying the lives of all of us,” responded Milei.
