Argentina’s president Javier Milei touched down in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, arriving in the middle of the biggest political firestorm of his presidency.

Milei had argued that the tens of millions of dollars it costs to run the primaries were incompatible with his cost-cutting drive. But analysts said the government would also benefit because Argentina’s fragmented opposition parties would be denied an opportunity to organise themselves ahead of midterm elections in October.