Current:Home > FinanceArgentine presidential candidate Milei goes to the opera — and meets both cheers and jeers-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Argentine presidential candidate Milei goes to the opera — and meets both cheers and jeers
View Date:2024-12-23 20:05:44
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Both cheers and jeers for Argentina’s right-wing presidential candidate resounded with acoustic perfection inside the country’s legendary Colón Theater, laying bare the country’s polarization on the eve of Sunday’s runoff.
The audience had gathered Friday evening in Latin America’s premiere opera house that is world-renowned for its acoustics to watch a performance of “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.
“Milei, trash, you are the dictatorship!” some attendees chanted at the candidate. He has downplayed Argentina’s bloody 1976-1983 military rule, saying the number of its victims is far below what human rights organizations have long claimed, among other controversial 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, formerly Twitter, showed other attendees at the more than century-old theater applauding him and asking for photos.
“I’ve never seen the Colón like this,” journalist Luis Novaresio, who was in the theater, said in a television interview afterward. Novaresio dismissed earlier reports that Milei had been asked to leave, saying he stayed until the end of Giacomo Puccini’s three-act opera.
Milei, an open admirer of former U.S. President 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 the 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.
Both candidates entered a blackout period Friday morning, meaning they are no longer allowed to campaign until after Sunday’s vote. Whether canny, cunning or coincidence, Milei’s appearance at Colón Theater thrust him into the spotlight on a grand stage before a crowd, many of whom posted videos of it to social media.
“What a beautiful work Madama Butterfly,” Milei wrote on X early Saturday, followed by the letters “XD” that represent laughter.
veryGood! (6548)
Related
- Watch out, Temu: Amazon Haul, Amazon's new discount store, is coming for the holidays
- Caretaker charged in death of her partner and grandmother in Maine
- Before dying, she made a fund to cancel others' medical debt — nearly $70m worth
- Central European interior ministers agree to step up fight against illegal migration at EU borders
- Shawn Mendes Confesses He and Camila Cabello Are No Longer the Closest
- Celebrities, politicians among those named in sex abuse suits filed under NY’s Adult Survivors Act
- Jill Biden unveils White House holiday decor for 2023. See photos of the Christmas trees, ornaments and more.
- Live updates | Israel and Hamas prepare for fourth swap as mediators seek to extend cease-fire
- US inflation may have picked up in October after months of easing
- 'Wish' lacked the magic to beat out 'Hunger Games,' 'Napoleon' at Thanksgiving box office
Ranking
- 'Devastation is absolutely heartbreaking' from Southern California wildfire
- Lululemon Cyber Monday 2023: Score a $29 Sports Bra, $39 Leggings, $59 Shoes & More
- Marty Krofft, 'H.R. Pufnstuf' and 'Donny & Marie' producer, dies of kidney failure at 86
- Teyana Taylor Addresses Quietly Filing for Divorce From Iman Shumpert
- Record-setting dry conditions threaten more US wildfires, drinking water supplies
- It's holiday cookie baking season: Try these expert tips to make healthy cookies.
- NFL Week 12 winners, losers: Steelers find a spark after firing Matt Canada
- See the iconic Florida manatees as they keep fighting for survival
Recommendation
-
GreenBox Systems will spend $144 million to build an automated warehouse in Georgia
-
Cha-ching! Holiday online spending surpasses last year, sets new online sales record
-
How much hair loss is normal? This is what experts say.
-
Josh Allen, Bills left to contemplate latest heartbreak in a season of setbacks
-
Get well, Pop. The Spurs are in great hands until your return
-
Woman’s decades-old mosaic of yard rocks and decorative art work may have to go
-
1 student killed, 1 hospitalized in stabbing at North Carolina high school
-
12 tips and tricks to unlock the full potential of your iPhone