MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei sparks controversy by equating Kirchnerism with Argentina's military dictatorship

Some members the political space led by Milei have even shown support for convicted perpetrators of crimes against humanity

Argentine President Javier Milei has ignited a new wave of controversy after posing with his candidates beside a banner that read “Kirchnerism Never Again,” mimicking the typography of the historic Nunca Más report, which documented crimes committed during Argentina’s last military dictatorship. The photo, taken in a poor neighborhood of La Matanza—a traditional Peronist stronghold—marks the launch of Milei’s electoral campaign in Buenos Aires province.

“The government has crossed a symbolic line by appropriating a slogan tied to memory and human rights,” critics from opposition sectors stated. Human rights organizations also condemned the move, arguing that the phrase, long associated with Argentina’s democratic recovery, should not be weaponized in political campaigns.

Since taking office in 2023, Milei has rejected the figure of 30,000 disappeared during the dictatorship and has slashed funding for state-run memory and human rights initiatives. Some members of his political space have even shown support for convicted perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

The widely circulated photo shows Milei alongside his sister and presidential secretary Karina Milei, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, and prominent PRO party figures such as Cristian Ritondo and José Luis Espert. The image reflects the recent electoral alliance between Milei’s La Libertad Avanza and the center-right PRO ahead of October’s legislative elections.

The campaign is expected to be tense and deeply polarized. Milei is framing the vote as a choice between “freedom or Kirchnerism,” while the Peronist opposition—led in the province by Governor Axel Kicillof—prepares to defend its stronghold. With poverty affecting 38% of the population, Milei blames the country’s economic crisis on Kirchnerist policies and is leaning heavily on confrontation as his campaign strategy.