Catastrophic, disastrous, on the way to Venezuela or even worse. This is how some Argentinians living in Barcelona describe the situation in their country as tomorrow’s presidential elections approach. In this context, the unusual proposals of the candidate Javier Milei arise, who intends to “dynamite the Central Bank”, dollarize the economy or take the chainsaw to public spending (practically put an end to it). The Argentinians who have spoken with La Vanguardia agree that Milei generates doubts and even fear. The choice boils down to taking a risk with the change proposed by the ultra-libertarian Milei, or continuing with the well-known evil of Peronism represented by Sergio Massa.
When Jorge gets up, he finds his WhatsApp flooded with messages from his friends in Argentina, who have been commenting on the latest progress of the electoral campaign and which he reads late due to the time change. “They live it as if it were a Boca-River, they are very polarized,” says this owner of an Argentine establishment. Since he arrived in Barcelona seven years ago, he says that Argentina has only gotten worse and that, although in other circumstances many people would not vote for “Crazy Milei,” the discontent weighs heavily.
Fed up with disappointments with politics, Jorge decided not to do the necessary paperwork to vote from abroad. Now he regrets it a little. “Not happy, but I would vote for Milei. I am afraid and have many doubts about him, but I am certain that with Massa everything will get worse, as it has been for 40 years with these people. I have a minimal hope that something good will come out of there. It is sad because an illusion is enough for you, but it is what it is.”
Flor arrived in Barcelona in 2001 when she was just over 20 years old and wanted to see the world. She now works in a graphic printing company and does not plan to return to Argentina. She is one of those who believe that, although her country is going through a very difficult time, “there were worse situations, like in 2001”, but she recognizes that living in Barcelona she cannot give her opinion with complete certainty. For her, Sunday’s elections are about “choosing against what you don’t like,” and she is clear that what she doesn’t like is Milei. “It doesn’t seem to me that a character like that can be president,” she says.
“The unfortunate thing is that on the other side is the continuity that has led us to the current situation. I’m not convinced either, but I would vote for Massa,” this Argentinean declares that she opts for abstention because she does not feel entitled to vote in a country where she does not live. But if Flor is clear about one thing, it is that falling into the extreme right would be a mistake. “The Milei phenomenon plays with people’s fatigue. Some believe they have already tried everything and say, what could get worse? But we shouldn’t throw everything overboard, just because Argentina is bad, doesn’t mean it couldn’t be worse. I think it could be worse.”
Ten months ago Liliana Olivera López received 200 euros from her Argentine pension, now it is only 70. “Look at the devaluation,” says this woman who has lived in Barcelona for 20 years. “They had never destroyed the country like this,” she condemns. Liliana would vote for Milei without a doubt. She likes her personality, she believes she has many good proposals, although she doubts they can work in Argentina, and she supports the alliance with Macri and Bullrich.
When asked if she has hope for her country, she responds that if a change comes, it will be many years from now and that she would no longer be able to see it. “I see it as very complicated because it is ruined by everything that Mrs. Kirchner stole, above all, and all these criminals.” Cristina Kirchner, Argentine president from 2007 to 2015 and current vice president, is sentenced to six years in prison for fraudulent administration during the twelve years that she and her late husband, former president Néstor Kirchner, governed.
After a first stay in Madrid in 2007, when “Argentina and Spain were good,” less than a year ago Aníbal Benedetti came to Barcelona “fed up with the economic ups and downs” of his country. “Although financially I was not bad, I couldn’t save and everything was getting worse,” says this man who combines his work as a graphic designer with that of a salesman at a car dealership.
In the nine months that Aníbal has been in Barcelona, ??he says that he has encountered a stagnant economy and not so distant from the situation in Argentina. “But here you can have a little foresight, in Argentina it is not possible because inflation is rampant,” he says. “You are alarmed because you have an inflation of 3% or 4% annually, we have an inflation of 8% monthly.”
Aníbal views favorably some of Massa’s energy policies, which seek to promote energy exports, and also supports its continuity in education and public health. But he does not completely trust the official candidate, who “promises things that he currently does not do,” and although Milei “is very scary,” he does not rule out voting for him. “I have to continue meditating,” he concludes.
