Milei, pledging to "chainsaw" the economic and political status quo, is the candidate to beat, with angry voters flocking to his tear-it-all-down message, fed up with inflation at 138% and poverty affecting over two-fifths of the population. Amid this crisis Milei has risen abruptly, pledging shock therapy to fix the economy including dollarizing, shutting the central bank, slashing the size of government drastically and privatizing state entities. Massa, current economy chief, remains in the running despite overseeing inflation hitting triple digits for the first time since 1991. He is pledging to cut the fiscal deficit, stick with the peso and defend the Peronist social welfare safety net. Pollsters see her as the most likely of the top three runners to miss out on a second round.

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Persons: Argentina's, Javier Milei, Sergio Massa, Patricia Bullrich, Milei, Federico Aurelio, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Massa, Bullrich, Nicolas Mercado, Flavia Vázquez, Pollsters, Nicolas Misculin, Adam Jourdan, Chizu Organizations: Reuters, American, Peronist Economy, International Monetary Fund Locations: Misculin BUENOS AIRES, China, Brazil, Buenos Aires