Argentina’s poverty rate has surged to nearly 53% in the first six months of Javier Milei’s presidency, the highest in two decades. Milei’s austerity measures, aimed at reducing chronic inflation and the budget deficit, include slashing public spending, freezing pensions, cutting welfare, and firing public employees. These actions have led to increased costs and eroded purchasing power, pushing 3.4 million Argentinians into poverty. While markets and the IMF have welcomed the cuts, experts and citizens criticize the severe impact on the poor, despite a drop in monthly inflation.