Argentina's former first lady Fabiola Yáñez has renounced her specially provided state security detail in Madrid amid criticism from the government and critics over its cost and necessity.
Yáñez, 43, came under intense scrutiny last week after images emerged of her enjoying a New Year's Eve celebration dinner at La Única, a high-end Mexican restaurant near Madrid’s Puerta de Alcalá.
The photographs ignited a political firestorm, with some questioning the need for Yáñez, who moved to the Spanish capital with her son Francisco over a year ago, to live with special protection.
State-funded security had been granted to Yáñez when she relocated to Madrid, but the detail was strengthened after she denounced her former partner, ex-president Alberto Fernández (2019-2023), for gender violence and battery in August last year.
President Javier Milei and Security Minister Patricia Bullrich criticised the former first lady when news of the dinner came to light, but public uproar escalated when details of the state’s financial burden emerged.
The Milei government disclosed that Yáñez's security detail cost taxpayers 23,000 euros per month, amounting to over 135,000 euros (approximately US$147,000) between August 2024 and January 2025. The expenditure covered the rotation of officers, travel expenses, lodging, and daily allowances.
Reacting to the media furore on Saturday, the former first lady officially withdrew from her security arrangement through a legal document submitted by her lawyer, Mariana Gallego to the judge overseeing her ongoing legal case.
Luxurious dinner
The sequence of events resulting in the resignation of the detail began when news of her New Year's Eve dinner came to light. Footage from the evening showed Yáñez dining with an unidentified man, sparking outrage over the use of public funds.
Bullrich slammed Yáñez, accusing her of evading her security detail on New Year’s Eve and only responding to urgent calls after her whereabouts became known on social media. “She directly escaped from her security" team, asserted the minister.
The backlash intensified with opposition politicians questioning the legitimacy and necessity of the costly security measures.
Bullrich also made allegations about the misuse of the security detail for personal errands. “The security service was treated more as a personal chauffeur service than a protective detail,” she alleged.
President Milei himself called for an immediate review of the security arrangements, arguing that public funds should prioritise citizens' welfare over privileges for former officials. Bullrich confirmed that her portfolio would prepare an official report justifying the cessation of Yáñez’s protection.
Yáñez’s decision to relinquish her security was framed as a gesture to avoid further burdening the state, nothing that the move "should not result in any detriment to the national administration." A statement highlighted her intention to lead a normal life in Spain without state protection and said she would seek legal recourse if any future incidents warranted it.
– TIMES/PERFIL/NA
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