Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, has made a bold move by sacking his foreign minister, Diana Mondino, after the country voted in favor of lifting the US economic embargo on Cuba at the United Nations. This decision marks a significant shift in Argentina’s foreign policy, as it was the first time since Milei took office that the country did not align itself with the US and Israeli governments.
The non-binding UN resolution, which was supported by 187 countries, saw only the US and Israel voting against it. In response to Argentina’s stance, President Milei replaced Mondino with the ambassador to Washington, Gerardo Werthein, stating that Argentina is “categorically opposed to the Cuban dictatorship.”
Under the previous left-wing Peronist government, Argentina had close relations with Cuba and supported the end of the economic embargo imposed by the US in the 1960s. In exchange, Cuba consistently supported Argentina’s claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory.
President Milei’s office issued a statement outlining the political vision behind the foreign policy shift, emphasizing the values of freedom, sovereignty, and individual rights. The statement reiterated Argentina’s opposition to the Cuban dictatorship and commitment to condemning regimes that violate human rights.
Friction had been building between President Milei and the foreign ministry over various issues in recent months, with Mondino often stepping in to defuse tensions caused by confrontational statements made by the president. The decision to replace Mondino reflects a new direction in Argentina’s diplomatic approach.
The US trade embargo on Cuba, imposed in 1962 after Fidel Castro’s revolution, aimed to push the island towards capitalism and democracy. However, the embargo has not achieved its intended goals and has become a point of contention between the US and its neighbors in the region. Argentina’s decision to support lifting the embargo signals a significant shift in its foreign policy stance.
