Who is ‘El Elfo’, the fantasy elf who’s now a major power player in Argentinian politics?

In 2017, then-25-year-old Luis Padron spent tens of thousands of dollars on plastic surgery to make himself look like an elf — no, not the Keebler kind, more like Legolas from The Lord of the Rings. Now, seven years later, Padron — or “El Elfo,” as he’s called — is at the center of a scandal involving Argentinian President Javier Milei.

According to Daily Mail, Padron of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was a lifelong fan of the fantasy genre and cosplay. When he was 20, Padron had his first surgery to transform into a fantasy being. Five years later, he decided to put the finishing touches on the look, including pointed ears, a visibly reduced Adam’s apple, and his jaw reshaped to appear more angular, like a diamond. Among other procedures, his skin was already bleached, his eye color changed, and he had all his body hair removed.

“I was bullied as a child,” Padron said in 2017, of his decision to drastically change how he looked. “And as an escape, I would submerge myself in movies like Labyrinth and The NeverEnding Story, as well as other fantasy tales.” Padron said his goal was to look inhuman, ethereal, graceful, and delicate, and he considered himself “trans-species.” He added, “I have my own beauty ideal and want to achieve that no matter what … I need to become how I feel inside, I don’t expect people to understand, but I ask they respect it.”

The Milei controversy

Fast forward to 2024, and Javier Milei, an extreme and controversial right-wing Libertarian politician, has been elected as president of Argentina on a platform to revive Argentina’s economy and help bring down years of inflation. In a story not so far covered in English-language press, Padron “The Elf” is dating Milei’s ex-girlfriend, Lilia Lemoine, an Argentinian cosplayer and makeup artist who is now a National Deputy of Argentina in the Argentine National Congress.

According to YouTuber BadEmpanada, Lemoine is a flat-earther who supports Milei’s “anarcho-capitalist” worldview — like an Argentinian Marjorie Taylor Greene or Lauren Boebert. As Milei rose in prominence, Lemoine and Milei broke up, but for a while, Lemoine remained close to her political ally, even though Milei had moved on to other famous women. Meanwhile, Lemoine kept compromising videos of Milei acting erratic behind the scenes during their relationship.

Enter ‘The Elf’

According to Spanish-language reports, Lemoine has now handed over everything she has on Milei to her new boyfriend, “The Elf,” just in case something happens to her. (Needless to say, Lemoine has interesting taste in men.) Now, Lemoine and The Elf are threatening to release the footage. Whatever the video shows is unclear, but the podcaster Bad Empanada says it’s Milei acting “psychotic.” Unconfirmed online reports (translated to English) say the footage could show Milei and “The Elf” in sexual situations.

It remains to be seen whether Lemoine and “The Elf” will bring down Milei’s government in Argentina, where poverty has spiked, according to recent reports, in the first six months of his administration. And reportedly, Lemoine and The Elf are just two of the — shall we say — “eccentric” and questionably qualified people in Milei’s inner circle. It’s comforting, however, to know that Donald Trump doesn’t monopolize the weirdest political stories in the world.