Argentina’s Milei rocks the vote with resistance songs amid party turmoil

By Gonzalo Zegarra and Isa Cardona, CNN

(CNN) — Argentine President Javier Milei took to the stage Monday night in Buenos Aires for a book launch-turned-rock concert, a move that delighted his fans but drew criticism from opposition members who accused him of being out of touch with the country’s economic problems.

Surrounded by a crowd of 15,000 that included political allies and young supporters, Milei swapped his trademark chainsaw for a microphone as he sought to energize his base ahead of the October 26 legislative elections and put behind him a controversy surrounding the resignation of one of the ruling party’s big-name candidates.

José Luis Espert was running for a seat in Argentina’s lower house of Congress representing Buenos Aires province, a key region for the ruling “La Libertad Avanza” (Freedom Advances) party. He stepped down on Sunday amid allegations that he received a payment from a drug-trafficker, but has denied any wrongdoing.

Milei made no explicit mention of the controversy while on stage, but he did physically embrace Diego Santilli, who has stepped in to replace Espert on the campaign trail.

What was billed as the launch of Milei’s latest book, “The Construction of the Miracle,” morphed into a musical spectacle broadcast live on state TV that included members of Milei’s ruling coalition performing nine rock covers.

Milei, a far-right libertarian, performed songs like Charly García’s “Demoliendo Hoteles” and Nino Bravo’s “Libre,” tracks associated with resistance against oppression, referencing the last military dictatorship in Argentina and the Franco dictatorship in Spain.

The spectacle drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who accused the president of being out of touch with Argentina’s mounting economic hardships.

Argentina, which is facing inflation and has in recent weeks experienced currency volatility, has been struggling to accumulate dollar reserves necessary to meet upcoming debt payments

The fragility of the country’s economy recently prompted the Trump administration to announce a new financial assistance package and Milei is set to meet US President Donald Trump, whom he has often praised, in Washington on October 14 to discuss the plan.

Buenos Aires governor Axel Kicillof accused Milei of “living in another reality.”

“Perhaps during his time as a candidate, Milei could do these things, but now I find it very serious … They should be taking responsibility and dealing with what’s happening to business owners,” he told the Argentine television station C5N.

Others were harsher. “Come back to planet Earth, president,” Ricardo López Murphy, a member of the chamber of deputies for the United Republicans, wrote on X. “Our country needs you here. These images give a mix of secondhand embarrassment, anger, and pain.”

Former economy minister Martín Lousteau posted, “One day of work lost, and the only Argentine miracle is performed by the millions of families who work magic just to make it to the end of the month.”

The president, whose party suffered a significant electoral defeat in Buenos Aires in September, rallied his supporters and took aim at the opposition: “You may have won one round, but you haven’t won the battle yet, much less the war.”

Milei closed the night by shedding his leather jacket for a suit and tie, promising sweeping “structural reforms” after December 10 if his party can expand its power in Congress.

The ruling party hopes to win seats in the October 26 elections to push forward its economic plans without requiring votes from allies.

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