Argentina's President Javier Milei held a rock live show combined with a new book launch event at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on the evening of 5/10. The 15,000-seat indoor arena is a popular venue for renowned rock artists in Argentina.
Taking the stage with disheveled hair, Milei, 45, performed nine songs, mainly rock hits from the 1980s. "I am human too. It might not look like it, but I am human," he jokingly told the crowd. The event was broadcast live on state television.
Argentina's president performs rock music in the capital Buenos Aires, 5/10. Video: X/jman
While supporters enthusiastically cheered the Argentine president's performance, opposition leaders criticized the event, arguing it showed Milei ignoring Argentina's escalating economic hardships.
Milei took office two years ago. Initially, his austerity campaign, dubbed "shock therapy" for the economy, proved effective in curbing triple-digit inflation, earning praise from US President Donald Trump and the international community.
However, Milei's "revolution" has veered off course in recent weeks. Doubts about his political future sent markets into a panic, leading to sharp sell-offs of the peso and forcing the government to deplete nearly all its foreign currency reserves to halt the decline.
In August, Milei was pelted with stones by protesters during an election campaign, requiring security to escort his vehicle away. His sister, Karina Milei, the presidential chief of staff, faces accusations of involvement in a corruption scandal at the disability agency.
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Argentina's president performs rock music in the capital Buenos Aires, 5/10. Photo: AFP
Experts say Milei's cuts have affected sensitive sectors such as pensions, pediatrics, and education. The crisis is so severe that the US has offered a 20 billion USD loan package to support Argentina.
Even loyalists present at the rock concert on the evening of 5/10 admitted Argentina is in "dire straits."
"The country is in disarray. We cannot say the situation is good; the nation is truly chaotic. But we must wait," said Oscar Luis Osorio, 54, who attended the arena dressed in a lion costume.
