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Milei Fires Foreign Minister After UN Vote on Cuba Embargo

Diana Mondino (Anita Pouchard Serra/Photographer: Anita Pouchard Ser)

(Bloomberg) -- Argentine President Javier Milei fired Foreign Minister Diana Mondino Wednesday after she voted at the United Nations in favor of ending the US embargo against Cuba. 

Milei replaced Mondino with Gerardo Werthein, who was Argentina’s ambassador to the US, according to chief spokesman Manuel Adorni, who posted on X about the change. Newspapers La Nacion and Clarin reported on Argentina’s vote at the UN on the Cuba embargo.

It marks 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 organization. Milei also fired Cabinet Chief Nicolas Posse earlier this year.

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.

“Our country is categorically opposed to the Cuban dictatorship and will maintain a firm position on a foreign policy that condemns all regimes that violate human rights and individual liberties,” Milei’s office wrote in a press release.

Last month, Milei denounced Cuba and Venezuela as “bloody dictatorships” in his speech before the UN.

Mondino 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 Sanchez.

Her tenure was under question in recent months as she didn’t always travel alongside Milei during some of his trips abroad or participate in bilateral meetings. Her ministry also came under fire for allegedly writing Falkland Islands, rather than Malvinas, in a since-removed press release. Earlier this month, her No. 2, a longtime diplomat, resigned from his post. 

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.

On the campaign trail, Mondino served as an economic adviser following a long career in finance. Her replacement, Werthein, 68, is part of the Werthein Group, one of the most powerful holding companies in Argentina, connected to its agriculture, telecommunications and finance sectors. Werthein was vice chairman of Telecom Argentina SA and founded Replay Acquisition Corp.

(Adds Cuba embargo to headline, context on Mondino’s departure, Werthein’s career)

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