La Libertad Avanza party MP and presidential candidate Javier Milei is pictured during the presidential debate in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, October 1, 2023
The ultraliberal candidate Javier Mileiwho will compete in the second round Presidential elections at Argentina In November he said he was open to the possibility that the losing candidate from the centerright coalition Together for Change, Patricia Bullrich, to be part of his later government. “If she wants to participate, how could I not include her?” said the leader of the A Liberdade Avança party in an interview with Argentine radio, a day after the first round of voting. Milei took second place with 29.98% of the vote behind the current economics minister and government candidate. Sergio Massa, which reached 36.68%. “She [Bullrich] “We have successfully combated insecurity, so we have no problems,” said the ultraliberal, referring to her time as security minister during the government of Mauricio Macri (20152019). Bullrich was third in the first round with 23.83% of the vote. According to the polls, she was supposed to fight with Massa to reach a second round with Milei, but the actual scenario was very different. “We will never be accomplices to the mafia that destroyed this country. Our values cannot be sold or bought. From my perspective, I will never give up my fight against populism,” Bullrich said in a message posted on the social network X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. After learning the results, she avoided explicitly expressing support for Milei’s candidacy. In return, the ultraliberal candidate expressed in the interview his “complete and unqualified agreement” with Bullrich on security issues. Milei went even further, comparing the Juntos pela Change leader with her vicepresidential candidate Victoria Villarruel, who is in the running to take over the defense portfolio in a possible rightwing government. “Villaruel’s vision is consistent with theirs, the phrase is clear: ‘Whoever does it, pays’. This point is so clear between them that we cannot even distinguish who owns the slogan,” he explained.
*With information from EFE.