Biden Congratulates Argentine President-Elect Javier Milei in Call: White House

U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated Argentine president-elect Javier Milei in a call on Wednesday, the White House said, three days after the libertarian outsider's resounding election victory in South America's second biggest economy.


"President Biden spoke with President-elect of Argentina Javier Milei to congratulate him and discuss the importance of continuing to build on our strong bilateral relationship," a White House statement said.


Milei, a 53-year-old economist who has vowed to scrap multiple government departments and sometimes campaigned by waving a chainsaw from the stage, trounced Argentina's long-dominant Peronist coalition on Sunday.


Voters punished the government for decades of economic decline, with annual inflation currently at 143%.


Milei has vowed to ditch the peso for the U.S. dollar and shut down the central bank -- which he accused of rampant money printing to finance government overspending -- in a bid to halt inflation.


During his campaign he said he would slash state spending and ditch about 10 government ministries, among other controversial proposals.


He later toned down some of his rhetoric, leaving uncertainty over his actual plans.


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had congratulated Milei in a statement on Sunday, adding that the United States also applauded "the robust democratic process through which the Argentine public has spoken."