Argentine President Javier Milei sacked his foreign minister Diana Mondino after the country unexpectedly voted in favour of ending the US embargo against Cuba at the UN.
The sudden dismissal exposed growing divisions within the Milei administration, as internal power struggles and diplomatic missteps culminated in a high-profile withdrawal. The resolution was passed on 30 October with 187 votes in favour, with only the US and Israel opposing it.
However, diplomatic sources suggested that the vote on Cuba was merely the final act in Mondino’s dispute. The presidential administration promptly announced Gerardo Werthein, the current ambassador to Washington and a prominent business figure, as Mondino’s replacement. Werthein enjoys considerable prestige in the private sector as the leader of one of Argentina’s most powerful conglomerates and is vice president of the International Olympic Committee.
Mondino’s position was further worsened by a series of diplomatic incidents, including controversial remarks about China during an official visit and a recent ministerial communiqué that referred to the “Falkland Islands” rather than the Argentine designation “Malvinas.”
A fortnight ago, Milei also sacked the country’s ambassador to the UN, Ricardo Lagorio. The government then announced plans to vet career diplomats to identify those promoting what it called “agendas that are enemies of freedom.” The announcement fuelled concerns about a possible purge of career officials.
