MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: Milei favors diplomacy and the Hong Kong model, respecting people's wishes

Javier Milei, the new kingmaker of Argentine politics and could even be the next president

He has become the rising (unexpected) star of Argentine politics, after defeating all other presidential hopefuls on Sunday's primary elections. The outspoken economist, promising libertarian changes, Javier Milei managed more than 30% of votes, ahead of the candidates from the two coalitions which were believed to have monopolized Argentine politics in recent decades, the opposition grouping with 27%, and the Kirchnerite incumbent coalition 28%.

This means that Milei on October 22nd will face Patricia Bullrich and Sergio Massa, and if percentages remain could be Argentina's next president when the second round in November.

Read also: Political earthquake: Libertarian candidate Javier Milei surges ahead in Argentina's elections

Once again all pollsters failed to anticipate Sunday's events and outcome, but analysts also point out to the 30% abstention among the highly politicized Argentine voters, --despite mandatory voting--, but it was also the worst showing of the ever dominant Peronist movement in any election, and particularly for the Kirchnerite brand.

Argentines are disenchanted, frustrated, fed up with their politicians, with corruption, galloping inflation, lack of foreign currency which have turned such a rich country into an international beggar.

So taking into account these facts, and looking ahead to the 22 October first round, how does Milei feel about the Falklands and the Malvinas Question.

Milei said in a television interview he favors only diplomacy and is inclined to a restitution of the Islands to Argentina in a similar way to the Hong Kong case with China in 1997, “but taking into account the will of the people living in the Islands, because they live in line with conditions of a developed country, and not a miserable country like the one we have now.”

He added, “we have to sit with the English, since there was a war and they beat us, and tell them, 'look the Islands belong to Argentina' so we must find a way to overcome the dispute. We need a long term agreement which means the Islands will return to us, but in no possible way with violence or force, and contemplating the position of the people who live there”

Following on the Hong Kong model, “after certain time, and some goals agreed and achieved, England returned Hong Kong to China. Respecting the people's wishes is most important, they won't want to live in a miserable country as we have currently”.

Milei discarded entirely any use of force or violence, “Argentina is in no condition of resisting an attack, we virtually have no defense, it has been dismantled, but luckily we live in a peaceful neighborhood, we don't have enemies among our neighbors”.

This situation allows “Argentina to be absolutely defenseless, nobody is planning to attack us”.

When asked about geopolitics, Milei said Argentina belongs to the Western world, and his allies are United States and Israel, which he plans to be one of his first visits if elected Argentine president.