Argentine President Javier Milei was forced to cut short a campaign rally in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires, after protesters hurled rocks, bottles, and other objects at his convoy on Wednesday. The incident occurred as Milei and his sister, Karina Milei, stood on the back of a pick-up truck, greeting supporters ahead of two key elections in September and October.
Witnesses reported seeing objects thrown in the president’s direction, prompting his security team to accelerate the vehicle away from the crowd. A supporter of Milei was taken to hospital with rib injuries after clashes broke out between protesters and his followers, though officials confirmed that neither the president nor his sister was harmed.
The confrontation unfolded in a stronghold of the Peronist opposition, where tensions have been rising over Milei’s economic programme and ongoing corruption allegations involving members of his administration. Recently, the president launched extensive severity measures which focused on reducing inflation, cutting government spending, and deregulating the economy. While official figures have suggested that consumer prices are easing, unemployment and poverty rates, however, have increased, drawing criticism from opponents.
Adding to the strain are allegations involving Karina Milei. Audio recordings in which Diego Spagnuolo, the former head of the National Disability Agency, claimed she received cuts from government contracts have surfaced. Spagnuolo has since been dismissed, amid Milei publicly rejecting the accusations, stating they would take legal action to prove them false.
Milei, amidst the unrest in Lomas de Zamora, reinforced his campaign message. On social media, he stated that the protesters were resorting to violence and framed the upcoming elections as a decisive choice between “civilisation or barbarity.” Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni also circulated images of the objects thrown at Milei’s vehicle, warning that the attack could have endangered lives.
The rally was part of a wider effort by Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, to strengthen its position ahead of the September 7 local elections in Buenos Aires province and the October 26 midterm polls. The outcome will decide half of the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the Senate, shaping the second half of Milei’s four-year presidency.
