Argentina’s President Milei Dismisses Foreign Minister over UN Vote on Cuba

Prior to her dismissal, Diana Mondino voted in favor of ending the US embargo against the island nation

Argentine President Javier Milei has fired Foreign Affairs Minister Diana Mondino following her support for a United Nations General Assembly resolution to lift the US embargo on Cuba.

Milei’s office announced the move in a press release. While the statement did not explicitly link Mondino’s dismissal to the UN vote, it was issued shortly after the vote and included a detailed explanation of the administration’s stance on Cuba.

“Argentina is undergoing a period of profound transformation… our diplomatic corps should reflect in every decision the values of freedom, sovereignty and individual rights that define Western democracies,” the statement said, adding that the country “is categorically opposed to the Cuban dictatorship” and “will remain steadfast in promoting a foreign policy that condemns” such regimes. Milei’s office also cautioned that it will conduct an audit of the Foreign Ministry’s staff to identify and eliminate “promoters of agendas hostile to freedom.”

Mondino was one of Milei’s initial confirmed cabinet members and his primary ally during last year’s presidential campaign. She will be replaced by Gerardo Werthein, who previously served as the ambassador to the US.

Earlier on Wednesday, the UN once again called upon Washington to end its decades-long sanctions regime on Cuba through a non-binding resolution. An overwhelming majority of 187 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while only the US and Israel opposed it, with Moldova abstaining.

Since assuming office in December 2023, Milei has repeatedly promised to align his country’s policies with those of the US. He has also distanced Argentina from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, accusing their leaders of being “despicable dictators.” Under Milei’s leadership, Argentina has formally declined an invitation to join the BRICS group of nations, marking a departure from the policy of his predecessor, Alberto Fernandez.

Argentina, Latin America’s third-largest economy, is grappling with a severe economic crisis stemming from decades of mounting debt and financial mismanagement. An estimated 55% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, while inflation is among the highest in the world.

The ‘shock therapy’ reforms announced by Milei upon taking office, intended to stabilize the economy, have so far proved unsuccessful, as Argentina’s economy entered a deeper recession in the second quarter of this year, with GDP falling by 1.7%, according to government data.