The foreign policy of the ultra Javier Milei is “Isolating Argentina from the rest of the world.” That is the diagnosis of Peronism, the Latin American country's main opposition force, after the Argentine president's new diplomatic clash. Milei's predecessor, Alberto Fernández, regretted that the privileged bond between Spain and Argentina is now “at its worst moment”, following the public insult that Milei made this Sunday against the family of the President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez , during a meeting of the ultra Vox party on the outskirts of Madrid. In response, the Spanish government has demanded a public apology from the Argentine president has summoned its ambassador in Buenos Aires for consultations.
Fernández expressed solidarity with Sánchez and his wife Begoña Gómez, who called Milei “corrupt” and insinuated that the Argentine president's verbal abuse can only be explained “by an emotional imbalance.” The former president warned that the diplomatic crisis that Milei opened with Spain will only worsen the situation the conflicts previously unleashed by his statements with Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and China. “The military in the reactionary international only isolates Argentina,” his former foreign minister, Santiago Cafiero, agreed with Fernández.
From the Radical Civic Union (UCR), the other major opposition force in Argentina, they joined the criticism of Milei. “The president's rock star tour of Spain implies another setback in the country's erratic foreign policy, which from a different perspective continues the bad foreign policy of Kirchnerism,” the head of the UCR bloc emphasized in Deputies. “Argentina must export more and better, for this we need precise and respectable diplomacy that must necessarily start from the head of the government. We call on the president to think and not to further escalate the conflict with our strategic partners,” De Loredo added via social networks.
Socialist deputy Esteban Paulón has appealed to Argentine Chancellor Diana Mondino appear before the House of Representatives to explain the state of affairs in diplomatic relations after “Milei's insulting statements.” However, the portfolio led by Mondino remains quiet for the time being.
Historical partners
Spain is one of Argentina's most important partners, with historic political, economic, cultural and cooperation relations and a Spanish community rooted in the South American country of more than 450,000 inhabitants.
Relations between the governments of the two countries were already tense before Milei arrived in Madrid on his first visit as Argentina's president. Just two weeks ago, Spain's Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, suggested that the Argentine president had ingested “substances” and his comment was responded to with a very harsh statement from the Argentine presidency, to which accusations from the two executives were later added . .
The Spanish Foreign Minister has assured that Milei's statements “overcome any kind of political and ideological difference” and “are unique” in the history of relations between the two countries. However, in recent years the bilateral relationship has gone through several crises, especially in 2012, following the decision of then-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to expropriate the oil company YPF, controlled by the Spanish company Repsol.
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