The Deerfield Report

Letter from the Editor

So, what is anarcho-capitalism, and why are people in Argentina seemingly embracing this economic ideology? Well on 13 August in a shocking twist of fate, the rock-singing, chainsaw yielding right wing Argentinian Presidential Candidate Javier Milei, orchestrated a landslide victory by receiving the most votes in the Presidential primary elections, setting the stage for a 22 October showdown with his two main rivals Sergio Massa, current Minister of the Economy, and Patricia Bullrich, the conservative opposition candidate.

Anarcho-capitalists, such as Milei, advocate for a minimal state interference in the market, believing that state management in the private sector creates market inefficiencies, so in short, the less government the better. Followers of this political philosophy and economic theory are commonly referred by the more benign term -- libertarians. And yes, without getting into too much detail, not all libertarians are anarcho-capitalists, but whether you label him a libertarian or an anarcho-capitalist, Milei is a force to be reckoned with. More importantly, this political outsider, has emerged from virtually nowhere, capturing the hearts and minds of young Argentinians, who are seeking a change from the devastating inflation (over 115%) gripping their country, placing it on economic life support.

This political turn of events was so unexpected, even Tucker Carlson, the conservative US Journalist and former Fox News host, was inspired to take the 11-hour flight from New York to the Argentine capital to personally meet this libertarian who has rocked the political establishment. Regardless of his political motives behind this interview, Carlson helped introduce the world to this front-runner for the Casa Rosada offering hope to millions of Argentinians.

I do not want to steal the thunder from one of our writers providing an insightful overview of this highly anticipated late October election, thus will leave it at that. In other regions of Latin America, specifically Bolivia, Ecuador, and Honduras, they are wrestling with their own political/economic issues which could have significant impact on their own internal stability – please read on to learn more.

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Latin America Edition

Letter from the Editor