Argentina’s Milei Sings Hard Rock At Book Launch

In a tie and leather jacket, Argentina’s President Javier Milei rocked out in front of thousands of fans during the launch of his latest economics book in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night.

“I wanted to do this because I wanted to sing,” Milei told spectators before performing his own version of a local rock song at Luna Park stadium, a venue known for major sporting events and concerts by international stars.

In a surprising turn, Milei then transitioned into a lengthy lecture from his 13th book, “Capitalism, Socialism, and the Neoclassical Trap.” He revisited some of his favored themes, including strong criticisms of socialism and abortion, which he described as a “mechanism to massacre populations.”

The 53-year-old libertarian, who was a political outsider when elected last year amid a wave of anti-government sentiment, has pledged to halt Argentina’s decades-long economic decline. The event showcased Milei’s rock-star persona, a nod to his youth playing in a Rolling Stones cover band—a trait that endeared him to voters during his campaign.

“I am here to support Javier in everything he does. I like his ideas, I like what he does, he is sincere, he is transparent, he says what he thinks,” said Santiago Roldan, a 20-year-old supermarket employee.

Milei, an economist who gained popularity as a television panelist before entering politics, delivered a lecture in liberal economics, covering topics from ancient Egypt to the fall of the Berlin Wall. As the evening wore on, many of the approximately 10,000 supporters began to leave.

“Milei remains a character who likes to put on a show,” remarked political scientist Rosendo Fraga of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences.

The event took place shortly after the release of statistics showing an 8.4 percent year-on-year decline in economic activity in March, amid Milei’s government’s austerity measures. Milei has implemented significant cuts, including slashing public spending, reducing the cabinet size by half, eliminating tens of thousands of government jobs, suspending new public works contracts, and removing fuel and transport subsidies.

He also devalued the peso by 50 percent, which has severely impacted consumers. Although inflation is slowing, prices have risen by approximately 290 percent compared to the previous year.