The Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was the first to react, Sunday, November 19, to the election of the new Argentine President, Javier Milei, but he did not clearly congratulate his counterpart. In a message posted on the social network
The far-right economist and politician won Argentina’s presidential runoff, receiving 55.6 percent of the vote, compared to 44.3 percent for his rival, centrist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, according to partial official results after 99% of votes have been counted.
“Argentina is a great country that deserves all our respect. Brazil will always be available to work with our Argentine brothers,” Lula continued.
His predecessor from 2019 to 2022, Jair Bolsonaro, was clearly delighted with the election of the one who presents himself as “anti-system”: “Congratulations to the Argentine people on the victory of Javier Milei. Hope shines again in South America,” the former far-right Brazilian head of state wrote on Brazil” so that “honesty, progress and freedom return”, in an allusion in particular to the future American presidential election for which the former tenant of the White House, Donald Trump, hopes to be a candidate.
Compared to Trump
The real estate magnate did not wait for the official results to come in to welcome the election of Javier Milei: “I am very proud of you. You will transform your country and make Argentina great again,” wrote the far-right candidate in the Republican primary in the United States, on his Truth Social network, in a paraphrase of his slogan “Make America great again.”
Milei, who defines himself as an anarcho-capitalist, has repeatedly stated that he does not make “a pact with the communists.” Although he does not mind having been compared to Donald Trump during his campaign, the content of his future diplomatic relations with the United States is not yet known.
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated “Argentina’s President-elect Javier Milei on his victory in the elections,” praising “the high turnout and peaceful conduct of the vote.”
The election is a “testament to Argentina’s electoral and democratic institutions,” Blinken said in a statement, adding that the United States “looks forward to working with President-elect Milei and his government on shared priorities.” .
The Indian Prime Minister also congratulated Javier Milei on Monday. “Looking forward to working closely with you to diversify and expand the India-Argentina strategic partnership,” wrote Narendra Modi on X.