San Francisco Frontiers - Campaign event for Argentina's Milei ends with skirmishes

Tensions are high ahead of legislative elections that are slated for Sunday, and at the end of Wednesday's event, AFP witnessed skirmishes breaking out among rally attendees.

The vote marks the first major test of Milei's leadership since he took office in December 2023 on the promise of reviving Argentina's ailing economy by slashing public spending -- despite continual protest from pensioners and others affected by his austerity regime.

Before the event, the governor of Buenos Aires, Peronist Axel Kicillof, took to social media platform X to warn against the chosen location.

But Milei left the scene without incident, but continues to navigate the worst moment of his 21-month tenure amid public outrage over a Milei family corruption scandal.

A week ago, Milei's vehicle was pelted with stones, plants and bottles while campaigning near the capital Buenos Aires, AFP reporters said.

Milei and his sister, Karina Milei, were whisked from the scene and sustained no injuries. But public outrage persists.

As her brother's trusted aide and general secretary of the presidency, Karina Milei is accused of receiving a three-percent cut on the amount paid by the National Disability Agency (Andis) for the purchase of medicine from Argentine pharma firm Suizo Argentina.

The Mileis maintain their innocence.

The allegations emerged in leaked audio recordings in which a man -- identified in media reports as Diego Spagnuolo, director of the disability agency -- is heard saying: "Karina gets three percent."

Spagnuolo was fired after the recordings became public.

The Milei administration called on the judiciary to investigate the release of the audio as "espionage," and a judge ordered a halt to their dissemination on Monday.

Global journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders called the measure "a serious threat to press freedom."

B.Turner--SFF