The 2024 McCain Global Leaders from the Western Hemisphere will be traveling to Argentina for a deep dive into the country’s changing political climate. Argentina’s history of populist leaders and struggle for economic stability presents a timely case study into the appeal of radical political alternatives in the face of institutional failure.
Like many other countries in the global south, Argentina’s journey from a newly independent former colony to modern democracy was one marred by tumultuous transitions of power, yet it has a unique and extensive history of populist leaders. From its independence in 1816 until 1943 Argentina cycled through several different military and democratic regimes, but the modern Argentinian system can be argued to have begun with the 1943 military junta which saw officer Juan Perón come to prominence. Perón would go on to serve as Argentina’s president three times and would leave behind a controversial legacy. While the pillars of his political ideals were social justice, economic independence, and political sovereignty, his regime was often accused of authoritarian tendencies. Even so, during his time he was able to institute policies such as nationalizing the central bank and several large corporations, expanding health and welfare benefits, and establishing an alliance with organized labor unions, which can be seen as policies for the common people and brought him strong support from Argentina’s working population.
Perón’s impact lasted long after his own death, through his political philosophy, known as Peronism, that would dominate Argentinian politics for much of its modern history. While Perón’s legacy could be debated, what followed is universally recognized as a dark period in Argentina’s history. Two years after Perón’s death in 1974, Argentina again underwent another military Junta, this time under General Jorge Videla. However, unlike Perón, who’s dedication to the working class could be seen as a redeeming quality, this new military regime sought to instill ultra-conservative, catholic values and brutally oppressed all opposition. Between 1976 and 1983, which became known as Argentina’s “Dirty War” an estimated 10,000 – 30,000 people were murdered or disappeared. To make matters worse, Argentina’s economy was in ruins, crippled by rampant hyperinflation due to the regime’s mismanagement.
While military rule ended in 1983 with the election of President Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín, which marked a significant step towards a democratic society and a return towards Peronism, the country has struggled through the lingering economic and social issues ever since. From the 1990s right up until the most recent election, Argentina’s leaders employed a variety of strategies attempting to stabilize the economy. Despite some short term success in these efforts, in 2023 the country had a 211% inflation rate and was the IMF’s biggest debtor. Citizens found themselves with lower real incomes and businesses faced a tax policy that was attempting to have citizens cover these debts. These issues, coupled with a poor score of 37/100 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, were likely the driving factors behind “outsider” Javier Milei’s presidential victory in the 2023 elections.
Though also viewed as a populist leader, Javier Milei, also referred to as “El Loco” by his opponents, could be viewed as the antithesis to classical Peronist leadership and a champion of classical liberalism. His victory came on the back of promises to abolish the central bank, slash welfare, privatize state companies, and implement radical social changes including loosening gun laws and banning abortion. Simply put, the path Milei believes will save Argentina, is one of radical change towards what he describes as “a different country, a country in which the state does not direct our lives, but rather safeguards our rights.” But has life improved for Argentines more than a year into his administration?
Economically, Milei’s policies have delivered mixed results. He has succeeded in bringing monthly inflation down to a 4-year low, from 25.5% in December 2023 to 2.4% in November 2024, brought about Argentina’s first fiscal surplus in 16 years, and is building economic optimism amongst outside perspectives. Yet he has also increased poverty levels from 40% to 53% in his first six months, dismissed over 30,000 government workers, and as promised, reduced several social services, which in tandem with rising poverty could be a misstep. Despite a score of 85 on Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Survey, Argentines still face several social struggles.
In an unfortunate reflection of the past, Argentinians are still faced with rampant police brutality, including arbitrary arrests and torture, that rarely is punished. This is especially true when police are faced with protests, such as those that have recently risen against Milei’s policies. Argentina is also becoming an increasingly dangerous country for women under Milei’s leadership. Gender-based killings have been an issue in Argentina for years, and the numbers hit an all time high last year. Milei’s policies have only exacerbated the issue, by removing protections through the slashing of government agencies and announcing plans to remove the term “femicide” from the penal code.
The McCain Global Leaders’ visit to Argentina comes at a pivotal moment in the country’s history. Milei represents both continuity and drastic deviation with Argentina’s political traditions, a populist in style yet with a vastly different ideology than that of the Peronist economic model that has dominated the nation’s politics for decades. His administration offers a real-time case study in whether radical free-market reforms can succeed where previous approaches have failed, and at what social cost.
The McCain Global Leaders will have the opportunity to learn firsthand from the Argentine experience and the country’s evolution. The global leaders will meet with NGOs working to safeguard democracy, electoral systems, and freedom including the Women’s Democracy Network In Argentina, the International Center for Parliamentary Studies, research and Foresight, and Transparencia Electoral, as well as organizations working towards sustainable development such as CADAL and CIPPEC. Additionally, experts such as Patricio Dellagiovanna, a global public affairs analyst, and Fernando Domínguez Sardou, a freelance consultant in strategy and policy analysis, will give in-depth presentations on Argentina’s political climate.
The MGLs will also have the opportunity to meet with senior officials in the Argentine government such as Gabriel Sánchez Zinny, the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Government of Buenos Aires, and Congresswoman Florencia De Sensi. Lastly the global leaders will be immersed in Argentine culture through various site visits. These include a visit to The Palace of the Argentine National Congress and the Buenos Aires Site of Memory Museum. The tour will offer the leaders an insight into the country’s democratic process, the role civil society organizations play in a changing government, and the strategies necessary to safeguard human rights and freedom, better equipping them to support and strengthen these areas in the region and their home countries.