- Milei surprised fans with a rock song at a book presentation in Buenos Aires
The presentation of a book on neoclassical economic theory may not seem to be liked by the public.
But on Wednesday, in Buenos Aires, crowds of dazzled fans packed a giant auditorium to hear Argentina’s president, the libertarian economist Javier Milei, give a lecture on the importance of freeing capital from state control.
Greeted like a stadium rocker as he took the stage to introduce his new book, “Capitalism, Socialism, and the Neoclassical Trap,” the libertarian president told the crowd, “I wanted to do this because I really wanted to sing.”
Accompanied by a rock band, Milei grabbed a microphone and sang a version of ‘Panic Show’ by the Argentine hard rock band La Renga, which drove 10,000 fans crazy.
“I am the lion,” he shouted, shaking his unruly hair to the rhythm. ‘I am the king of a lost world.’
The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, sings during the presentation of his new book Capitalism, socialism and neoclassical trap at the Luna Park stadium on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The president drove his fans crazy while performing his musical show
Milei joins a rock band while singing a heavy metal song at the book event.
People wait at Luna Park, where Milei (not seen) presented her book
When the music stopped, he took off his black leather jacket to reveal a business suit underneath and took the podium to begin the presentation of his new book, published on May 1.
Milei had initially planned to promote her book at the Buenos Aires International Book Fair, the country’s largest literary event that began earlier this month. But when left-leaning organizers gave speeches criticizing Milei for defunding cultural institutions, the president canceled the event and instead promoted a new one at the city’s Luna Park stadium.
It was not Milei’s first concert. Performances of ‘Panic Show’ with reworked lyrics were an occasional feature of campaign events.
“This connection he has with people, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Liliana Varela, a 72-year-old attendee, as she watched Milei greet her followers. “She is creating disruption at the precise moment we need it.”
Milei’s musical stunt isn’t her first, as ‘Panic Show’ performances are a recurring feature during her campaign events.
Milei’s latest extravagant episode on Wednesday comes at a delicate time for Argentina, in the midst of its worst economic crisis in two decades, with more than half the population living in poverty and annual inflation soaring towards 300 %.
An unprecedented diplomatic crisis is underway with Spain, Argentina’s main trading partner, after Milei accused the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of corruption earlier this month, the Associated Press reported.
Despite the turmoil, Milei’s ratings have remained strong, with die-hard fans in full force on Wednesday, lining up for hours in frigid weather and dancing to keep up the energy when Milei arrived more than an hour late.
“He’s the best president in the world,” gushed Matías Muzica, 20, dodging questions about his policies but praising him as Argentina’s answer to Donald Trump. “He can make Argentina great again.”