On Sunday, 35.8 million Argentinians go to the polls to elect their president for the 2023-2027 term in a runoff in which the contenders are the Economy Minister Sergio Massa and the far-right candidate Javier Milei. Below are the main events as they occur.
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1:30 p.m.: Argentinians residing in Paraguay vote calmly. The consul of Argentina in Paraguay Jose Carlos Ramos mentioned that 30,000 Argentines residing in Paraguay are registered to vote. Of them, 23,000 are concentrated in Asuncion and the rest in Ciudad del Este and Encarnación.
Ramos indicated that the voting took place very calmly and with a notable number of participants. The first results are expected to be obtained around 11:00 p.m. local time.
From the early hours of Sunday, long lines were observed around the consulate, at whose entrance there were military personnel and officials guiding voters.
11H20: Vice-presidential candidate Villarruel was disowned in precinct. Victoria Villarruel, the Freedom Advances vice presidential candidate, went to vote in the Caseros town, in the Buenos Aires province, where people were waiting for her with "Never Again" signs.
This phrase, which has become a Latin American symbol, comes from the 1984 report of the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons, which was created by the Argentine state in 1983 with the objective of investigating the forced disappearance of people during the military dictatorship (1976-1983).
Villarruel tried to minimize the incidents, remembering that she is the daughter of a Malvinas war veteran and harshly criticizing human rights defenders and left-wing militants.
"I don't know why they are upset if they have had children of terrorists and terrorists in government positions," said the legislator who is the running mate of Javier Milei, the candidate who minimizes state terrorism by stating that "only 8,751 people" disappeared.
However, in the kindergarten where Villarruel voted, Argentines previously painted graffiti to remember the 30,000 people kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the dictatorship.
The text reads, "Relatives of missing people from the neighborhood shocked Victoria Villarruel when she went to vote in Caseros. 'In the town of Tres de Febrero, there are 325 missing people, 23 of them in this neighborhood. One of them was the daughter of the principal of this school,' one of the protesters explained."
11h00: Presidential candidate Milei says he is satisfied. The Freedom Advances candidate appeared calm after casting his vote in the Almagro neighborhood in Buenos Aires.
"We are very satisfied. We did a tremendous job," the far-right politician said and tried again to blame Argentine democratic sectors for carrying out "a dirty campaign" against him.
Milei, who came dressed in black to the electoral precinct, was received by supporters who shouted "The Caste is Afraid", one of the phrases he has used to position his anarcho-liberal proposals related to criticism of political elites and the reduction of the State to a minimum.
10h45: Presidential candidate Massa expresses optimism about the future of Argentina. Sergio Massa expressed optimism that Argentines will be "better and more united" in the near future.
"Let us await the result with tranquility, hope and, above all, optimism that Argentina finds us better and more united in the future," he said after casting his vote in Tigre, a city of which he was Mayor.
In this city in the province of Buenos Aires, the progressive politician was received by a crowd of supporters who accompanied him during the time he remained in the electoral precinct.
The text reads, "A battle between civilization and barbarism is being fought around the world. Today, in Argentina, Sergio Massa represents the democratic forces against the extremist Javier Milei. We support voters to say NO to fascism in the urns."
9h45: President of Argentina asks to respect democracy. Alberto Fernandez, who will leave the presidency on December 10, asked to "respect and take great care of democracy" after voting at the polling stations installed at the Catholic University, located in the Puerto Madero neighborhood, in the south of Buenos Aires.
"Today is an important day and one of great happines. We Argentines express ourselves and choose our future. Let us move through it calmly and in peace," he said through social networks.
"I wish that Argentina continues to respect and care for the democracy that we recovered 40 years ago," Fernandez added.
During the last few weeks, he has maintained a very discreet public profile and did not participate in the electoral campaign in which his Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, competes with the far-right politician Javier Milei.
"I wish the best for Argentina so that it continues to live in democracy," the outgoing President Fernandez also mentioned.