Candidate for president of Argentina, libertarian economist Javier Milei gave an unconventional speech after obtaining a surprising first place in the country’s primaries in August, dedicating the triumph to his “four-legged children”.
As Argentina went to the polls for general elections this Sunday (22), Milei’s cloned mastiffs became a media sensation, reflecting the peculiar nature of the candidate who shook up the election season by promising to prune the political status quo with a “chainsaw”.
The 53-year-old economist paid around US$50,000 to clone his dog Conan, who he adopted in 2004 and died in 2017. He told local media that Conan was one of his closest friends and confidants, always by his side.
The result, according to the cloning company, was at least four “grandchildren”: Murray, Milton, Robert and Lucas, named after Milei’s economist idols, such as Milton Friedman. Milei has already appeared publicly alongside them.
The journalist Juan Luis González who wrote the book “El Loco” about Milei, documented a fifth clone, who also bears the name Conan, a reference to the 1982 film “Conan the Barbarian.”
The rise of Milei, who entered politics just a few years ago, has shaken the Argentine political establishment, which for him functions as a “caste”.
He is the favorite to win this Sunday’s vote, ahead of Economy Minister Sergio Massa and conservative Patricia Bullrich, in what most polls see as a tight three-way race. There will probably be a second round in November.
VIDEO – Elections in Argentina: see the proposals from Milei, Bullrich and Massa
Milei’s adoration for her dogs is remarkable. He used a medium to talk to them and called them “the best strategists in the world” in his closing campaign this week.
“Do you know who were the only ones who were always by my side?”, Milei said in an interview with Argentine media in August, referring to a difficult period in her life. “My sister and Conan.”
González, the journalist and biographer, said that when the original Conan was alive, Milei gave him champagne and treated him like part of the family.
“To Milei, Conan was like a son,” he said.
After Conan’s death, Milei sent the dog’s DNA sample to the animal cloning company PerPETuate, which wrote publicly about cloning Milei’s dogs on their company’s website.
Through a medium, Milei’s original dog, the candidate claims, gave him the mission to become president of Argentina, which he could achieve – against initial odds – this Sunday or next month.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
