Trump and Bolsonaro hail Milei's victory as far right rejoices

Luminaries of the global far right are in raptures over Javier Milei's thumping election victory in Argentina, which experts predict will turn Buenos Aires into a new stomping ground for the populist radical right.

-  Tom Phillips RIO DE JANEIRO, Josefina Salomón

Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro led the merrymaking after their Argentinian ally trounced his rival, the Peronist finance minister Sergio Massa, by nearly 3m votes in last Sunday's presidential election. The former US president predicted Milei would "truly make Argentina great again" while Brazil's ex-president applauded a victory for "honesty, progress and freedom". Bolsonarista and Mileísta activists predicted Milei's win would be the first in a trio of rightwing conquests that would see Trump and Bolsonaro reclaim power in 2024 and 2026.

In his first post-victory interview on Monday, Milei announced he would travel to the US and Israel - where he has promised to move Argentina's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem before being sworn in on 10 December, alongside his ultra-conservative vice-president elect Victoria Villarruel.

Bolsonaro announced he would attend Milei's inauguration in Buenos Aires and posted footage of a pally video call with Argentina's president-elect. "I'm really happy," Bolsonaro told the radical libertarian economist. "You have a big job ahead of you... and it's a job that goes beyond Argentina."