Milei’s first 100 days: Argentines struggle to make ends meet as support for president remains high

By DÉBORA REY
Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A butcher shutting down his shop barely eight months after opening it. A 72-year-old retiree singing in the streets of Buenos Aires to make ends meet. A 34-year-old mother of four struggling to feed her children and surviving mostly by eating in soup kitchens. They’re among thousands of Argentines who say their economic situation is now worse than a year ago as a consequence of the austerity and deregulation measures ordered by President Javier Milei in his first 100 days in office. Yet, support for Milei remains strong, with an approval rating of 43% and — among his voters in the November runoff — as high as 75%, according to a recent study.