Friday, three in the afternoon. It already governs electoral ban in Argentina. A cardiologist speaks on the radio and explains how he and his colleagues overcome the obstacles to imports that have turned the third largest economy in Latin America into a country in which practically no nothing comes in from outside. Catheters do not arrive, for example. How then do Argentine doctors, a reference in the region for their seriousness and talent, make catheterizations? «We reuse them, They are of very good quality. Of course, we should not do it more than three times,” explains the doctor.
Few examples are clearer of how much Argentina has at stake today in the more uncertain elections in 40 years of democracy. The terrifying economic crisis left by the Government of Alberto Fernández has a first and last name: Sergio Massa, Minister of Economy for 14 months, one month. The country exceeds 40% poorhe 130% annual inflation and shows very clear signs of launching into its third hyperinflation in 34 years. Massa is, however, the candidate of the ruling Peronism, and insists that on December 10 he will sit in the main office of the Casa Rosada.
Unlike catheters, which should only be used once, Massa is a candidate for recycling in several directions. He was protected by the Kirchners, an enemy of the Kirchners and today the last hope of the Kirchners, absent from the electoral campaign in the face of what is emerging as the worst defeat in the history of Peronism. It was already the case in the primaries on August 13, when he obtained 28.8% and a third position, behind Patricia Bullrich (29.6) and the winner, Javier Milei (31.6).
Beyond Massa’s insistence that he will be in a runoff on November 19, there are no obvious reasons for this to happen. The problem in this Sunday’s election is that the obvious is not enough.
Years ago, a candidate who sang “I am the king of a lost world” and proposed blow up the Central Bank, in addition to theorizing about a free sale market for human organs, would have had no impact, it would have been considered just a bad dream. But, today, that candidate has a first and last name, Javier Mileyhas just won the primaries on August 13 and is the favorite at the polls.