Argentine voters in Madrid worried about the future but “decided”

“The elections are closed”shouts punctually at 6:00 p.m. a young volunteer from the Colegio Mayor Argentino, the Madrid center where the last round of presidential elections was held, which welcomed thousands of voters throughout the day who came with their mates to choose the next president of the country.

Madrid, which is the second Spanish city with the most registered voters (34,992), after Barcelona (47,071), closed with a participation of approximately 4,570 voters, a slightly lower volume than in the first round held in October, when 4,800 people participated.

Some of those thousands of voters with Spanish residence, in conversations with EFE, conveyed their concern about the fate of the country and the feeling that Argentines went to the polls with their vote already decided for one of the two candidates: the Minister of Economy of the current government, the Peronist Sergio Massa, or the far-right Javier Milei.

“There are two options this time, it’s easier. You don’t see much indecisiveness. “Last time people took more time to choose who to vote for,” said María, a young prosecutor (table controller) from Unión por la Patria, Massa’s party, referring to the last election in which voters had to choose between five candidates.

“Now they have decided. They come to what they come”, he insists while a wave of people came out to his side with the voting stubs in their hands, certifying that they had voted.

For her part, Paulina, who traveled to Madrid from the Spanish city of Guadalajara (center) to cast her vote, commented that she has lived in Spain for seven years and has voted “every year“, but on this occasion he hopes that “let the candidate come out who will bring the desired change”, Well, without revealing his choice, he clearly knew his decision before going to the polls.

One of the fears that has settled in the minds of Argentines in recent weeks is the possibility of fraud, after the media complaints made by the libertarian Milei space against police forces, after their defeat in the first round became known. election of last October 22.

Faced with this scenario, Elsa and Graciela, two elderly women, expressed their annoyance at a possible “fraud,” because they say they had heard about “theft of ballots” in the political conversation.

The feeling of anguish was also observed on the face of Helena, an older woman who has been living in Madrid for five years, a period in which she has always attended to vote because she confesses that her country matters to her and especially at this time. “it hurts”.

With a broken voice, he pointed out that “With these elections many things are being put at risk”. Furthermore, he advanced that probably “A very difficult period will come for Argentines.”

“If I reach 80 I will continue voting,” he said, and then stressed that he has little faith, that he wants an improvement even though he already “he doesn’t expect anything.”

The eternal economic crisis that the South American country is going through, this time with inflation figures that exceed the 140%and social problems were the topic of conversation of all the voters abroad who were at the door of the Madrid school.