On Sunday night, Argentine presidential candidates, including Sergio Massa from Union for the Homeland, Javier Milei from The Freedom Advances, Patricia Bullrich from Together for Change, Myriam Bregman from the Left Front, and Juan Schiaretti from We Act for Our Country, engaged in the first mandatory debate, leading up to the elections on October 22.
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The debate among the presidential aspirants revolved around topics such as the economy, education, and human rights, with the far-right candidate Milei drawing attention due to his controversial stances.
Throughout the debate, Massa, who is also the current Economy Minister, faced criticism from the other contenders, as they held him accountable for the country's economic situation.
Economic Proposals
The Union for the Homeland candidate pledged to enact a capital amnesty law to encourage the return of funds held abroad without taxation, alongside an export development plan.
He also committed to reforming the criminal justice system to impose penalties on tax evaders and fugitives, while seeking to reduce taxes for small and regional businesses.
During his speech, Sergio Massa acknowledged that inflation is the most pressing issue for Argentinians and apologized for the mistakes made by President Alberto Fernandez's administration that have harmed the people.
On the other hand, the far-right candidate Mileideclared that if he were to become the Argentine president, he would reform the State, deregulate the economy, privatize public enterprises, and close the Central Bank.
Bullrich, a right-wing politician, briefly mentioned her commitment to promoting economic order and fiscal balance.
Candidate Schiaretti assured that he could replicate the same "fiscal balance" achieved in the province of Cordoba and tackle inflation.
Human Rights
When questioned about human rights, the far-right candidate from The Freedom Advances questioned the widely accepted figure of 30,000 disappeared individuals during the dictatorship, as claimed by human rights organizations.
"It wasn't 30,000 people disappeared. It's 8,753. We oppose a one-sided view of history," said Milei.
On her part, candidate Patricia Bullrich compared herself to former presidents Nelson Mandela and Jose Mujica when she mentioned that, like them, she was "part of a youth organization," referring to her involvement in the JP linked to Montoneros.
Bullrich also honored the "victims of the dictatorship, both civilian and military," defended the security forces, and accused labor unions of being responsible for the "disruption of democratic coexistence" in Argentina.
The first debates took place in the city of Santiago del Estero. The second debate is scheduled for October 8 at the Faculty of Law of the Buenos Aires University(UBA). In the event of a runoff election, a third debate will be organized for November 12.