Argentines and the world were shocked when far-right libertarian Javier Milei swept the August 13 primary elections, seemingly guaranteeing victory in the general election taking place on Sunday, October 22. However, in a further twist, the candidate for the governing Peronist coalition, Sergio Massa, ended up squeaking out a narrow victory over Milei, setting up a nail-biter runoff election on Sunday, November 19.

Massa’s win in the general election may have tempered some of the more pessimistic forecasts of a far-right takeover in Argentina; however, the fact remains that a free-market paleolibertarian is still a narrow favorite in most polling. There needs to be, in other words, a more honest reflection on the rise of the far right in a society long regarded as inoculated against just this kind of reactionary turn.

Historically, the Argentine far right has been excluded from the halls of power. Until months ago, Milei’s Avanza Libertad (Freedom Advances) was a virtually nonexistent political force with no party structure, provincial candidates, senators, or governors. Pointedly, Argentina’s electoral system was designed to prevent the entry of just these kinds of outsider forces.