Milei jets up to Hollywood to meet Milken before crucial vote

President Javier Milei will sit down with billionaire Michael Milken in Los Angeles just days before his government faces its biggest electoral test since taking office almost two years ago.

Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo will meet Milken on Thursday, as well as a group of investors and business leaders, according to the president’s official agenda, which didn’t say where the meetings would take place. He’ll also have lunch with astronaut Noel del Castro, and hold separate meetings with Chevron Corp Vice-Chairman Mark Nelson and film producer Andy Kleinman.

Milei will be in the United States for 25 hours, according to the agenda. It’s a more low-profile trip than a year ago when Milei attended Milken’s annual conference, delivering a keynote speech and posing for thumbs-up photos with Elon Musk on the sidelines.

The optics of Milei’s trip, which originally included a stopover in Las Vegas before the idea was scrapped, raised eyebrows at home this week before Sunday’s crucial election in Buenos Aires Province, a bellwether for the national midterm race in October. It’s a competitive battleground that’s long been run by the libertarian leader’s Peronist opponents, and his government’s campaign was sideswiped two weeks ago by allegations of bribery within his inner circle, which he denies.

Argentina’s currency and sovereign bonds have dropped ahead of the vote.

Even if Milei stayed in Buenos Aires, he and his provincial candidates couldn’t keep campaigning because of Argentina’s electoral laws. Still, the government hasn’t publicly explained the trip’s origin or timing.

As he arrives in the US, the bribery scandal may have cost Milei a diplomatic win. An agreement for Argentina to be considered for the US visa waiver program was put on pause just a month after it was announced by both sides. The US State Department had concerns about the allegations involving some of Milei’s top officials, such as his sister Karina, and wanted to speak with the government before starting the visa waiver process, according to an Axios report.