Argentina's Milei escorted to safety after protesters pelted him with stones

Argentine President Javier Milei has been pelted with stones and other objects while campaigning near Buenos Aires by demonstrators protesting an alleged corruption scandal involving his sister.

The right-wing libertarian leader, who is campaigning ahead of the October mid-term elections, was whisked away by his security and sustained no injuries, presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni wrote on X.

Milei was standing in the back of a pickup truck and greeting supporters in the city of Lomas de Zamora, about 20 kilometres south of the capital, when protesters began hurling rocks, bottles, and plants at his vehicle.

The motorcade, carrying the president and his sister Karina Milei, who is also his chief adviser, quickly left the area.

Scuffles then broke out between supporters and opponents of the president, leaving one female supporter with rib injuries, according to witnesses.

Sister in spotlight

The unrest came as Milei faced growing fallout from audio recordings leaked by Diego Spagnuolo, the former head of the public disability agency.

In the tapes, Spagnuolo alleged that Karina Milei pocketed funds earmarked for people with disabilities.

Speaking in Lomas de Zamora shortly before the protests erupted, Milei rejected the accusations.

"Everything (Spagnuolo) says is a lie," he told reporters.

"We are going to bring him to justice and prove he lied."

The scandal has dominated Argentine news for days and threatens to damage Milei’s standing ahead of the legislative vote — the first major test of his support since taking office in December 2023 on a pledge to revive the country’s crisis-hit economy.

The 54-year-old economist has taken credit for reducing Argentina’s soaring inflation and producing a budget surplus through steep cuts in public spending, including in disability programs.

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Source: TRT