Far-right libertarian outsider Javier Milei has won Argentina’s presidential run-off poll, according to provisional results.
Mr Milei’s rival, economy minister Sergio Massa, called him to concede.
Former US President Donald Trump congratulated Mr Milei on his victory, saying he would “Make Argentina Great Again!”.
The election comes at a difficult time for Argentina with rising inflation and an economy in crisis on peoples’ minds.
Mr Milei’s proposals, which included detonating the central bank, won support with voters desperate for change.
He confounded pollsters by easily defeating the candidate of the governing Peronists, provisionally by more than 10 points.
Provisional results showed Mr Milei had nearly 56% of the vote compared with 44% for Mr Massa, with almost 90% of votes counted.
In his victory speech to supporters in Buenos Aires, Mr Milei said: “Today begins the reconstruction of Argentina. Today begins the end of Argentina’s decline.
“The model of decadence has come to an end. There is no way back.
“Argentina will return to its place in the world that it should never have lost. We are going to work shoulder-to-shoulder with all nations of the free world, to help build a better world.”
After his defeat, Mr Massa said: “Obviously the results are not what we expected. I have contacted Javier Milei to congratulate him,.
“From tomorrow the responsibility of providing certainty belongs to Milei.”
(BBC News)
