Argentina holds breath as far-right Milei seizes narrow runoff advantage

Populist provocateur appears slight favorite over Peronist Sergio Massa as 35m Argentinians vote to choose new president

• Who is presidential frontrunner Javier Milei?

Argentina is teetering on the brink of an unpredictable new political era this weekend with an erratic far-right populist known as El Loco" (the Madman) the slight favourite to become president of South America's second-largest economy in Sunday's election.

As 35 million Argentinian voters prepared to choose their new leader against a backdrop of soaring inflation and widespread poverty, analysts believed Javier Milei, a TV celebrity turned congressman, held a slender advantage over his rival, the finance minister, Sergio Massa, but said the result was too close to call.