BUENOS AIRES – He president Javier Milei replaced his foreign minister, Diana Mondino, with his ambassador in Washington after Argentina will vote this Wednesday at the UN against the embargo on Cuba imposed decades ago by the United States, the presidency reported.
“The new chancellor of the Argentine Republic is Mr. Gerardo Werthein,” the diplomatic representative in the United States until now, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni wrote on the social network X.
Hours before, at the UN General Assembly in New York, Argentina had supported a resolution against the United States embargo on Cuba, approved with 187 votes in favor, two against – the United States and its ally Israel, and one abstention, that of Moldova.
The Office of the President issued a statement stating that Argentina “categorically opposes the Cuban dictatorship and will remain firm in promoting a foreign policy that condemns all regimes that perpetuate the violation of human rights and individual freedoms.”
Argentina “will defend the aforementioned principles in all international forums in which it participates and the Executive Branch will initiate an audit of the career staff of the Foreign Ministry, with the objective of identifying promoters of agendas that are enemies of freedom,” the text added, in the which refers to the fact that the chancellor had “presented her resignation.”
Milei replied to a publication by a representative that said: “Proud of a government that does not bank (support) nor is it an accomplice of dictators. Long live #CubaLibre.” The president also republished another that indicated that he had fired his chancellor.
Sealed destiny
Argentina has historically voted at the UN against the economic embargo promoted by the United States on the island, as it also did on this occasion.
The local press reported, citing anonymous foreign ministry sources, that it was not convenient for the country to speak out against Cuba, because the votes of the island and its allies would be necessary in future claims to the United Kingdom for the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands.
Two weeks ago Milei had dismissed the Argentine ambassador to the UN, Ricardo Lagorio, and had sent a letter to the diplomatic corps urging them to align with the foreign policy of the ruling party.
Chancellor Mondino “already had the chancellor’s office heavily intervened,” said political analyst Carlos Fara, who considered that “it is inexplicable that there was a lack of coordination” in the vote at the UN and that Mondino’s fate was already sealed in the cabinet. .
For several months, the former chancellor had not participated in Milei’s activities abroad, in which he was accompanied by his sister, Karina Milei.
“And one fact became clear: Werthein is the one who set Milei’s international agenda,” Fara said.
Werthein, Mondino’s successor at the head of Argentine diplomacy, is a businessman and also vice president of the International Olympic Committee, who presided over the Argentine Olympic Committee between 2009 and 2021, before being appointed by Milei as ambassador of the South American country to the United States.
