BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) 鈥 When right-wing populist Javier Milei became Argentina鈥檚 president-elect, he dedicated his victory to "The boss,鈥 the nickname he uses for his enigmatic sister, Karina Milei. She is the most important of a trio of influential women surrounding the fiery outsider who shot to the presidency of South America鈥檚 second-largest economy.
Karina Milei, who barely speaks in public, was tasked with introducing her brother Sunday night after he with 55.7% of the vote, the highest percentage in a general election since the return of democracy in 1983.
鈥淲ithout her, none of this would have been possible,鈥 Milei told the crowd that chanted 鈥淥l茅, ol茅, boss, boss.鈥
Milei enjoyed a meteoric rise to the presidency, making the leap from television commentator to lawmaker two years ago. Lacking a group of well-known political advisers, he has surrounded himself with a group of women who are set to be key players in his administration.
Milei rose to the presidency advocating for several unconventional measures, including a proposal and replace the country鈥檚 currency with the U.S. dollar.
In interviews, Milei has characterized his sister Karina as "the great architect鈥 of his campaign. She raised funds and oversaw the entire operation, managing her brother鈥檚 daily schedule. More importantly, she was part of the negotiations with former President Mauricio Macri to seal an alliance with the country鈥檚 largest center-right coalition ahead of the runoff.
It is unclear whether Karina, who has a degree in public relations, will hold a formal position in her brother鈥檚 government, but few doubt that she鈥檒l continue to play a key role.
A more public presence in Milei's administration might be , an actress and dancer who gained fame for her impersonation of former President Cristina Fern谩ndez de Kirchner, the outgoing vice president. Milei has been in a relationship with Fl贸rez for a few months.
Fl贸rez鈥檚 role in the administration is unclear and she has said she has no plans to abandon the stage.
鈥淚 can combine my artistic career with the role of first lady,鈥 she said after Milei鈥檚 victory.
The president-elect has said he has no plans to ask Fl贸rez to abandon her career, saying in an interview that "I don鈥檛 see why I should be so selfish as to deprive Argentines of seeing a show of such magnitude as F谩tima鈥檚.鈥
Also set to play a key role is Vice President-elect Victoria Villarruel, one of the most controversial figures in the new government for her opposition to abortion and marriage equality. She has spoken up in favor of reopening the discussion that led .
Villarruel, a lawyer, has also questioned the legal processes that led to the conviction of former officers for crimes against humanity during the country鈥檚 last brutal military dictatorship that ended in 1983.
The daughter of an Army colonel, Villarruel has worked for years to change the narrative about the last military dictatorship. She founded an organization that defended former military officers who were put on trial and participated in rallies involving relatives of victims of terrorist attacks committed in the 1970s by leftist guerilla groups.
During the campaign, Villarruel accompanied Milei in several television interviews, taking the floor to explain several of his proposals. 鈥淪he is a brilliant woman,鈥 he has said about her.
Milei has said Villarruel will be in charge of the defense and security policies of the future government, saying that 鈥渙bviously, she will not have a decorative role."
____
Follow AP鈥檚 coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
