Argentine President Javier Milei has fired Foreign Minister Diana Mondino as a result of her voting against the U.S. embargo on Cuba at the United Nations. The firing took place amid ongoing tensions between the two, but the decision was announced as a result of the vote, which contradicted the administration's expected alignment with the United States and Israel.
The UN Assembly passed a new resolution condemning the U.S. embargo against Cuba, with 187 countries supporting it and only the United States and Israel voting against. Given Milei's alignment with the mentioned countries, many anticipated Argentina would break from a historic stance and join them for the first time, as reported by El País.
The resolution criticized the "inhumane" impact of the embargo and called for respect for Cuba's sovereignty and economic development. Cuba remains immersed in a spiraling crisis as ongoing blackouts raise worries about food and water supplies. The Cuban government says it continues to work to restore the national grid after widespread outages in recent weeks. Residents are finding it hard to sleep in the heat, food is spoiling, and water supplies are dwindling.
Amid the crisis, over 850,000 people have fled Cuba for the United States over the past three years, a number that has contributed to the island's steep population decline. A report published by the International Organization for Migration (OIM) in September revealed that over 140 Cubans have died attempting to reach Florida in rafts in 2024, an 18% increase compared to 2023, with several months still remaining in the year.
In response to the vote, the Argentine presidenct's office released a statement on social media, saying, "Our country categorically opposes the Cuban dictatorship and will remain steadfast in promoting a foreign policy that condemns all regimes that perpetuate human rights violations and individual freedoms." Milei echoed this sentiment, republishing a message from lawmaker Sabrina Ajmechet, who expressed pride in the vote and said the government does not support dictators.
Gerardo Werthein, previously Argentina's ambassador in Washington and a close ally of Milei, has been appointed as Mondino's successor. Werthein, 68, has accompanied Milei on six presidential trips to the United States and previously served as president of the Argentine Olympic Committee from 2009 to 2021.
Mondino's removal had seemed imminent for months. The 66-year-old economist lacked diplomatic experience and spent much of her time managing the fallout from Milei's controversial remarks about other countries and leaders. Despite her attempts to mitigate these conflicts, she lost Milei's confidence, especially that of his sister, Karina Milei, who had informally intervened in the Foreign Ministry by appointing trusted allies, sometimes contradicting Mondino's decisions.
Mondino's dismissal marks the fourth high-ranking official to resign from Milei's cabinet, following the ministers of Infrastructure, Chief of Cabinet, and Health. Over 80 mid-level officials have left the administration in its first ten months.
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