Buenos Aires
“Hello, dear Javier Milei. We have a lot in common,” greeted former President Jair Bolsonaro in a video recorded from the seat of a car a few days before the country’s primaries in support of the candidate for Argentina’s president. However, the two have differences as significant as their similarities.
While, on the one hand, Brazilians position themselves as conservative in their customs and liberal in their economy, Argentines, on the other hand, position themselves as ultraliberal and anarchocapitalist. On the one hand, they both agree on weapons, abortion and communism, but on the other hand they have different opinions on family, religion and militarism. Below you can see how close or far they are on eight topics.
1. Populism
Very similar
Milei and Bolsonaro talk to each other, sometimes with disruptive speeches
aggressive and simplified messages like “freedom”. They also sell themselves as antisystem figures despite holding positions in the legislature, which is still similar to Donald Trump’s campaigns in the United States.
“The three reflect this dynamic of proposing simplified solutions to very complex problems, which is global and not just happening on the right,” analyzes Velasco, saying that they have known how to exploit the current crisis of representation. They have all managed to mobilize masses on social media and have a habit of criticizing or attacking the media.
2. Anticommunism
Very similar
Both Argentines and Brazilians chose communism or socialism as their common enemy. Internally, this is expressed in antiPTism in the case of Bolsonaro and antiKirchnerism in the case of Milei, who primarily speaks out against a “political caste”. Externally, this means targeting only one part of the world.
“Our geopolitical focus is on the United States and Israel. This is our international policy. We will not ally with the communists,” the ultraliberal said in August, criticizing Argentina’s entry into the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South) bloc. Africa). He has also stated that if he becomes president, he will leave Mercosur, which he described as a “defective customs union.”
3. Environment
Look the same
Both are considered climate change deniers. Milei’s most famous sentence in this area comes from 2021, when he was still running for MP: “Global warming is another lie of socialism.” 10 or 15 years ago it was argued that the planet was freezing, now they argue “It’s heating up,” he said, adding that the calculations were being manipulated “to create fear.”
His government program does not include any environmental policy, but only makes specific mentions such as promoting sustainable agriculture and renewable energy sources. The Bolsonaro government was marked by explosive deforestation in the Amazon region and the dissolution of environmental control authorities. He even told the UN that those responsible for the fires were “the Indians and the Caboclo.”
4. Weapons
Look the same
Both support the carrying of weapons, following the logic of individual freedoms. Last year, Milei stated that “states that are allowed to freely carry weapons have much lower crime than others where honest people are forced to be defenseless,” which contradicts studies on the subject and also Bolsonaro whose Policies of easing that have caused the number of registered weapons to double in Brazil.
However, after the primaries in which he emerged victorious, the Argentine softened his position and denied that the measure was included in his government program. He leaves the matter to his candidate for vice president, Victoria Villarruel, who would be in charge of a new security ministry, explaining that his policy in this area consists of a series of legal reforms, although he relies on the legislature for this.
5. Economy
Similar in some aspects, different in others
Milei and Bolsonaro defend liberalism in the economy with tax cuts, cuts in ministries and the privatization of stateowned companies, but the Argentine is more radical. His main proposals to lead the country out of the crisis are to dollarize the economy and abolish the central bank, ideas that would not have occurred to either the former Brazilian president or his former minister Paulo Guedes.
As a professional soldier, Bolsonaro has a more nationalist and statist origins. He spoke of making the country grow within local industry, like Donald Trump in the United States, while Milei wants to unilaterally open Argentina to the world, that is, to facilitate the import of industrial products, which is currently limited in the country.
6. Military and dictatorship
Different, but closer lately
While Bolsonaro has a military background, filled several ministries with generals, has political support in this sector and defended the 1964 coup, Milei does not show any significant closeness to the group nor does he indicate that he will be part of his government. “The wound of the dictatorship is still very raw in Argentina,” remembers Professor Paulo Velasco.
Recently, however, the Argentine caused strong reactions when he said that there was “a distorted view of history” and that “not 30,000 people disappeared,” as human rights organizations estimate. This relativistic speech was previously delivered by his candidate for vice president, Congresswoman Victoria Villarruel, who is the daughter, granddaughter and niece of military personnel and whose political banner is the defense of the victims of guerrilla attacks during the dictatorship.
7. Family and religion
Very different
Although Bolsonaro stated that the two were “defending the family” by supporting Milei before the primaries, there are major differences of opinion between the two on this point, starting with the fact that the Argentine has never been married and has no children. “Milei, in her libertarian logic, defends things that Bolsonaro would never defend,” says Paulo Velasco, coordinator of the International Relations course at Uerj (State University of RJ).
Argentinians, for example, view samesex relationships as a personal choice in which the state should not interfere. He has said the same thing about selling drugs and even organs and children but he has tried to avoid those problems as his chances of reaching the presidency have increased. The Brazilian, in turn, is known for several homophobic and transphobic comments.
Since Milei does not rely on evangelical voters, who make up only 15% in the country compared to more than 30% in Brazil, he has more freedom in this sense. He has also attacked Pope Francis several times: “He is always on the side of evil,” he posted at the beginning of last year. One of the points on which they agree is opposition to abortion, but the libertarian does not invoke religious discourse, but rather “the individual rights of the baby.”
8. Life path
Very different
Milei, 52, has academic roots, while Bolsonaro, 68, grew up in the military world. The Argentine has a degree in economics from the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, where he worked as a professor for 21 years. He also worked in consulting firms, banks and companies, such as Máxima AFJP, a private pension company. He only entered politics in 2021, when his arguments with commentators on television catapulted him to become a member of the Bundestag.
The Brazilian has had a long public career, even if he sells himself as an “outsider”. During the dictatorship, he graduated as an army officer in 1977 and served until 1988, the year he joined the reserves and was elected city councilor of Rio de Janeiro. He then served as a federal representative for 28 years until he became president. What the two have in common is that they rose quickly in the election campaigns.