Argentina President Javier Milei is facing backlash after he described Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as corrupt and described socialism as “cursed and carcinogenic.” Milei made his comments during a rally in Madrid that was organized by Spain’s far-right Vox party.
Following the president’s explosive comments, Spain recalled its ambassador from Buenos Aires for consultations. Meanwhile, the Spanish opposition, which is led by the People’s Party, suggested that Sánchez was wrong to raise the personal conflict to a diplomatic level.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares says he expects an apology from Milei, but his spokesperson said in an interview late on Sunday that he would not apologize, and instead suggested that Spanish officials should apologize for insults they made against him.
"With his behavior, Milei has brought the relationship between Spain and Argentina to its most serious state in recent history," Albares said. “To this hospitality and good faith, he responded with a frontal attack on our democracy, on our institutions and on Spain.”
In April, a court in Madrid opened a preliminary investigation into Gómez on suspicion of “influence peddling and corruption”. The case’s claims were made by a right-wing anti-corruption group. Sánchez has described himself and his wife as victims of rightwing “mudslinging”.
A group of business executives met with Milei on Saturday, including those from BBVA and Telefónica, but were forced to do damage control following Milei’s comments. They said they agreed with a statement that was put out by the head of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi. The head said “we emphatically reject” Milei’s comments, which were “out of tone against the prime minister and his wife.”
In April, the US said it would allocate $40 million to support defense modernization of Argentina, which has declared its intention to become one of NATO’s global partners, according to the US Embassy in Buenos Aires.
Through its partnership with the US, Argentina will be able to purchase defense products, training services, and F-16 fighter jets. Milei, who was elected to the position in December 2023, has rejected the idea of peacefully working with BRICS partners including China, Brazil and Russia, and has instead pushed for a foreign policy that relies on a partnership with the US and Israel.