Both jeers and cheers for Argentina's right-wing presidential candidate resounded with acoustic perfection inside the legendary Colón Theater in Buenos Aires, laying bare the country's polarization on the eve of Sunday's runoff. The audience had gathered Friday evening in Latin America's premier opera house, which is world-renowned for its acoustics, to watch a performance of Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly—but Javier Milei soon became the main event. A group began insulting him as he sat in the front row of a box alongside his girlfriend, the AP reports.
"Milei, trash, you are the dictatorship!" some attendees can be heard chanting at the candidate in videos on social media. He has played down Argentina's bloody 1976-83 military rule, saying the number of its victims is much lower than human rights organizations have long claimed, among other widely unpopular positions. Some videos on social media also showed a few orchestra musicians playing the Peronist March, an anthem of the political party of Economy Minister Sergio Massa—Milei's opponent in the runoff. Videos that Milei reposted on X showed other attendees at the more than century-old theater applauding him and asking for photos.
Milei, an admirer of Donald Trump, has blasted what he depicts as a corrupt political class. He proposes to slash the size of the state and rein in inflation that has soared to triple digits on Massa's watch. He has awakened passionate opposition in several corners of society, with many characterizing him as a threat to democracy, and Massa has warned voters that electing Milei would mean an end to public education, health care, consumer subsidies, and welfare programs. Milei has denied this. The candidates entered a blackout period Friday morning, meaning they are not allowed to campaign until after Sunday's vote. Whether canny, cunning, or coincidence, Milei's theater appearance thrust him into the spotlight on a grand stage. "What a beautiful work Madama Butterfly," Milei wrote on X early Saturday, followed by the letters "XD" that represent laughter.
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