(Bloomberg) -- A top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump flew to Buenos Aires but decided not to attend Alberto Fernandez’s inauguration after learning that a top minister to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro would be attending.

Mauricio Claver-Carone, a presidential adviser for hemispheric affairs, told Argentine newspaper Clarin he hadn’t been told in advance that Maduro’s deputy, Jorge Rodriguez, would also be there. Fernandez was sworn in as Argentina’s president Tuesday. Argentine media showed photos of Rodriguez at Argentina’s Congress Tuesday, where Fernandez’s swearing-in took place.

“Unfortunately, due to some invitations and surprises that we learned about upon arrival, I decided not to go and I’m leaving early,” Claver-Carone told the newspaper. A U.S. Embassy spokesman confirmed the quotes when contacted by Bloomberg. “I’m not going to have the many work meetings that we have scheduled for tomorrow,” Claver-Carone told the paper.

The U.S. Embassy spokesman said the meetings would still go on with other U.S. officials. Claver-Carone told Clarin that Michael Kozak, acting assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, would remain in Buenos Aires, adding that he had communicated his displeasure to Fernandez’s secretary for strategic affairs, Gustavo Beliz.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar did attend the inauguration and greeted Fernandez.

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Claver-Carone emphasized to Clarin that the Trump administration is committed to helping Fernandez’s new government turn around the Argentine economy, which is in recession, battling 50% inflation and facing an unsustainable debt load. And Fernandez’s comments about potentially offering asylum to former Bolivian leader Evo Morales and the presence of former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa factored into the decision not to attend, Claver-Carone said.

“However, these distractions don’t bring any benefits to Argentina,” Claver-Carone said, according to Clarin. He added that Fernandez was perhaps “poorly advised” and that “you don’t do this between friends.”

Fernandez’s spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Claver-Carone appears to be the top contact between Trump and Fernandez after he met with Fernandez in Mexico in early November and co-led the delegation to Buenos Aires. Fernandez has also met with U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Edward Prado.

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His absence potentially holds implications beyond optics and diplomacy. Argentina has a record $56 billion credit line with the International Monetary Fund, which is currently on hold until Fernandez spells out his economic policies. The U.S. government is the IMF’s top financier, giving it heavy influence over the approval of any new deal between Fernandez’s new government and the Fund.

Trump labels Maduro a dictator and the U.S. government has slapped a range of sanctions on the Venezuelan government in an effort to push him out. Trump recognizes Juan Guaido, a Maduro opponent, as Venezuela’s president, and up until now Trump counted on Fernandez’s predecessor, Mauricio Macri, as a Latin America ally against Maduro.

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Fernandez hasn’t completely reversed Macri’s stance on Venezuela, but he hasn’t labeled Maduro a dictator either and his stance is muddled thus far. Fernandez’s vice president, former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, was a close ally of Maduro during her time in office. His foreign minister, Felipe Sola, said Argentina will remain in the so-called Lima Group, composed of several Western Hemisphere nations that condemn Maduro as a dictator.

Fernandez’s inauguration was a difficult call for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, too. After initially saying that Brazil wouldn’t send anyone to the inauguration, Bolsonaro decided at the last minute to send his vice president. Fernandez is a friend and advocate for Bolsonaro’s political foe, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Claver-Carone did hold at least one meeting in Buenos Aires: He met Elisa Trotta Gamus, Guaido’s appointed ambassador to Argentina, Tuesday morning.

To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Gillespie in Buenos Aires at pgillespie29@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Robert Jameson, Walter Brandimarte

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