Argentina's Milei has autobiography recalled amid flap over false degree claims

[peppertree]

Far-right Argentine President Javier Milei was dealt an embarrassing blow this week when his autobiography, The Libertarian's Path, was withdrawn by its publisher after false university degrees claims were included in the flap's biographical stub.

"The biography of President Javier Milei that appears in the Spanish edition of his book El Camino del Libertario, contains erroneous data," the Madrid-based Editorial Planeta explained in a press release.

"We sincerely apologize for the error. And we will proceed to withdraw this edition from Spanish bookstores to replace it with a new one, with the correct data."

Costly flap

In both the book flap and the Planeta website in Argentina, Milei was falsely touted as a graduate of the prestigious University of Buenos Aires - and with a doctorate from the University of California.

The claim, once publicized, was corrected on the Spanish Planeta website, and the books were promptly recalled - dealing the right-wing publisher, one of the largest in the Spanish-speaking world, a costly loss and embarrassment of their own.

Milei, 53, is a graduate of the private University of Belgrano - long panned in Argentina itself as a diploma mill with few requisites for graduation other than the timely payment of tuition.

The school's leafy, uptown Buenos Aires campus has over the years attracted a sizable number of U.S. students in foreign study programs - some of whom reportedly transferred to the University of Buenos Aires after one semester due to inadequacies at the school.

Milei has an honorary doctorate from the ESEADE "university institute" - an unaccredited business school in Buenos Aires with no undergraduate courses.

The temperamental Milei created a flap of his own on May 2nd by boycotting the Buenos Aires International Book Fair after his demands for 5,000 free tickets for his supporters was denied by the non-profit Fundación El Libro - which organizes the renowned fair.

Argentina's publishing industry - one of the region's largest with around 50 million books printed annually - has seen sales fall by over 30% so far this year, as an already-weak economy has collapsed amid an ongoing "Mileise" impacting nearly every sector.

At: https://publishnews-es.translate.goog/planeta-retira-de-la-venta-el-camino-del-libertario-de-javier-milei/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Far-right Argentine President Javier Milei exhorts supporters in the cover of his autobiography, The Libertarian's Path.

The book was recalled by its publisher after false claims of a degree from the University of Buenos Aires, and of a doctorate from the University of California, were detected in the biographical stub.

A similar flap in 2018 derailed the career of former Spanish right-wing darling Pablo Casado, who had falsely claimed to be a Harvard graduate.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Wow! How cool is this situation? He burns Argentina's disposable incomes, then can't move his books

because his hoped-for customers don't have the ability to buy them, or possible even the will to buy them, if they could!

Well done, pResident Milei,

[peppertree]

2. Sure. The ignoramus no doubt thinks there's only one "University of California"

Last edited Thu May 16, 2024, 12:22 PM - Edit history (1)

And you're right: the only hope he has of that drivel becoming a bestseller, is that the CIA start buying them in bulk through straw purchasers - or maybe some Argentine plutocrat.

Sadly, our Mr. Burns (the CIA director) has fallen for Milei's little flag-waving shtick - U.S. and Ukrainian (of course). He seems to be very much a fan.

But you don't need to follow Argentine history to be able to tell him that has 'blowback' and 'foreign policy embarrassment' written all over it - because, as you pointed out, Chucky's a real train-wreck.

And not a slow-moving one, like Macri was (though when that bubble popped, it popped with a bang). But one that wrecked, right off the gate - quite literally: https://buenosairesherald.com/society/palermo-train-crash-and-derailment-leaves-60-injured.

With 47 million people left in the wreckage.

Argentina's is the worst economy in the world this year - worse even that beleaguered Ukraine.

Qué será. All the Best, Judi.

Have a great weekend. Stay cool!