Argentinian President Javier Milei was forced to cut short a campaign rally on Wednesday after protesters hurled rocks, bottles and other objects at his motorcade in Buenos Aires province. The libertarian leader was riding in the back of an open pickup truck with his sister and chief of staff, Karina Milei, when projectiles began striking the vehicle in Lomas de Zamora.
Milei sustained no injuries but was quickly evacuated by security as the truck sped away from the violent scenes. One supporter was hospitalised with rib injuries after scuffles broke out between supporters and opponents in the crowd.
Corruption scandal backdrop
The disruption comes as Milei faces mounting political pressure over corruption allegations. Audio recordings leaked last week allegedly capture Diego Spagnuolo, former head of the nation's disability agency and a close ally of the president, discussing bribery payments to Karina Milei and one of her advisers.
Milei has dismissed the recordings as false and vowed legal action, but Spagnuolo has since been dismissed from his post. The scandal has intensified scrutiny of the administration just days before provincial elections on 7 September.
Disability cuts fuel anger
Anger over the corruption claims and policy cuts was evident at Wednesday's rally. "You never want violence, but there is so much injustice and hypocrisy," said protester Joel Domínguez, who cited disability services cuts as his reason for demonstrating.
"I have a daughter with a disability and he hits us directly. There's no reflection or self-criticism because he doesn't care," Domínguez added.
Electoral stakes rise
The incident occurred in Lomas de Zamora, a traditional stronghold of Argentina's left-leaning Peronist movement. Buenos Aires province, home to more than a third of the country's population, will be crucial in October's national midterms.
Milei later posted a photo on X flashing a thumbs up and accused Peronist opponents of orchestrating the attack. "Kirchnerism never again!" he said, referring to the political movement of former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
Economic trade-offs
The former TV pundit rose to power in 2023 promising to dismantle bureaucracy and control inflation through his "chainsaw" economic shock programme. Government figures show monthly inflation slowed from 25 per cent in December 2023 to 1.9 per cent last month.
However, unemployment and poverty have climbed during that period, eroding purchasing power and fuelling social unrest. Opposition lawmakers recently passed new spending measures that threaten Milei's budget surplus.
Sources used: "Independent", "The Guardian", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
