Milei sacks Argentina's Foreign Minister Mondino after Cuba embargo vote

President Javier Milei has sacked Foreign Minister Diana Mondino after Argentina voted to condemn the United States’ six-decade embargo of Cuba at the United Nations.

Mondino, 66, will be replaced as Argentina’s top diplomat by the nation’s current Ambassador to the United States, Gerardo Wertheim.

"The new foreign minister of Argentina is Mr. Gerardo Werthein," Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni wrote on X.

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a new resolution against Washington’s blockade of the Communist island, which has been in force for more than six decades.

It called for “an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” and was presented by Havana to the UN on Wednesday.

The resolution received 187 votes in favour, with only the United States and Israel voting against and Moldova choosing to abstain. 

It is one of the highest level departures in Milei’s administration since he took office nearly a year ago, and a pivot away from one of his top campaign allies.

Mondino ran on his ticket early on during Milei’s presidential run, shoring up international credibility during a campaign defined by theatrics and lack of organisation. Milei also fired Cabinet chief Nicolás Posse earlier this year.

She made her mark as foreign minister by putting out repeated diplomatic fires after Milei fanned tensions between leaders in Brazil, Colombia and Spain. 

Mondino most recently celebrated that Spain, Argentina’s second-biggest investor, designated a new ambassador to the country on Tuesday. Spain had pulled its top diplomat from Argentina following a verbal spat between Milei and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Her portfolio also came under fire for allegedly writing “Falkland” Islands, rather than the Malvinas, in a since-removed press release.

Earlier this month, her number two, longtime diplomat Leopoldo Sohares, resigned from his post. 

Surprising

The position of Milei's government surprised some onlookers who had expected the La Libertad Avanza leader to shift Argentina’s historic position on the embargo. 

It is the first time since Milei's arrival in office that Argentina has not aligned itself with the US and Israeli governments. 

All Latin America and Caribbean nations expressed unanimous support for Cuba and condemned the trade embargo.

Milei’s issued a communiqué in which it states 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 the international forums in which it participates and the executive branch will initiate an audit of the career staff of the Foreign Ministry, with the aim of identifying the promoters of agendas that are enemies of freedom," added the text, which said Mondino had "presented her resignation." 

The UN resolution is a diplomatic and moral victory for Cuba, though it will have little effect in reality.

This is the 34th non-binding declaration presented by Havana against the six-decade blockade since 1992.

Local media quoted Foreign Ministry sources as saying that while it was awkward diplomatically for Argentina to have opposed the US and Israel, the votes of Cuba and its allies would be needed in any future resolutions on Argentina's claim of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands.

Reported unrest

Mondino’s firing comes after weeks of rumours of reported unrest within the government at her performance. 

The official had not joined Milei's travels overseas in recent months, with the head of state’s sister, presidential chief-of-staff Karina Milei, accompanying him on visits.

Wednesday’s vote at the United Nations, during which the Milei government voted for an end to the blockade of Communist-run Cuba, can be seen as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Milei decided to immediately dismiss Mondino following the vote, the Casa Rosada confirmed.

Moments after the official's sacking was announced, the President retweeted a post by a lawmaker who said she was "proud of a government that does not support nor is an accomplice to dictators. Viva #CubaLibre."

Sacking Mondino over a routine UN vote against the US embargo on Cuba marks a return to stridently anti-communist form for Milei, who has taken a pragmatic tone on China since taking office after deriding the Asian nation as an “assassin” during his presidential campaign.

New alignment

A fortnight ago Milei dismissed Argentina's ambassador to the UN, Ricardo Lagorio, and had sent a letter to the diplomatic corps urging it to align itself with his government's foreign policy.

Milei has been adamant about rooting out any diplomats who stray from his foreign policy positions, particularly his opposition to the 2030 agenda. He’s been unafraid to make this position public, going as far as infuriating other countries by refusing to adopt language on gender equality in the Group of 20 communique.

Werthein, Mondino's successor, is part of the Werthein Group, one of the most powerful holding companies in Argentina, connected to its agriculture, telecommunications and finance sectors. 

A vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, the 68-year-old was previously vice-chairman of Telecom Argentina SA and founded Replay Acquisition Corp.

– TIMES/BLOOMBERG/PERFIL/AFP