Resignation or dismissal?
President Javier Milei decided to ask for the resignation of former Chancellor Diana Mondino, who had been with him since his inauguration as a key figure in the cabinet.
Diana Mondino held the position of Chancellor of the Republic of Argentina for less than a year, but since the 2023 electoral campaign she had a very important role advising the President and was recognized as a reference and important figure within the government.
With a background in economics and finance, her knowledge was key to the country's financial situation in relation to different debt funds such as the IMF.
However, in the last few weeks her team had been blundering on several issues and her departure from the government was the result.
The straw that broke the camel's back: Mondino's diplomatic errors
The Foreign Ministry had issued a communiqué in which the Malvinas Islands were referred to as "Falklands Island", something unforgivable given Argentina's historical struggle to recover the territory occupied by England.
In addition to this incident, Argentina voted in favor of a UN resolution calling for the end of the US embargo on Cuba. A fact that Milei took as a tragedy given its alignment to the interests of the US and Israel (the only countries that voted against it). Not to say "submission".
Despite the President's decision to remove Mondino, it must be recognized that the U.S. embargo on Cuba is a policy worthy of the Cold War and whose cessation was requested by 187 other countries, which Argentina joined. Therefore, the incident at the UN seems minor, compared to the mistake of the Falkland Islands, and which shows that the relationship had been breaking down for a long time.
The new Chancellor
Gerardo Werthein, until now Ambassador to the United States, will be the new Argentine Chancellor. However, his experience in diplomacy and foreign policy to occupy such a position is questioned.
Argentina has a Diplomatic Institute (ISEN) for the training of agents with great international recognition and a distinction of unmatched quality and trajectory, which has allowed our country to have a well-defined and respected foreign policy around the world. However, in recent years, those who were appointed to the highest positions were not graduates of this system, but merely political friends or businessmen.
Werthein's case does not escape from this new trend, as he has an unconventional profile. A veterinarian by profession but linked to the business world and sports, Gerardo is a member of one of the most influential business families in Argentina, known for their participation in industries such as telecommunications, insurance and energy. As head of the Werthein Group, he played a key role in the expansion of telecommunications in the country. He was also president of the Argentine Olympic Committee and a member of the International Olympic Committee, until he was appointed Argentine Ambassador to the United States.
The government intends this appointment to establish more pragmatic and results-oriented ties, especially in areas such as trade, sports, technology and investment. This represents a challenge for the experienced diplomatic corps that must mediate, advise and follow guidelines from people who do not have a career and experience in this area.
The government's communiqué
Through social networks and official communiqués, the government expressed: "The country is going through a period of profound changes and this new stage demands that our diplomatic corps reflect in every decision the values of freedom, sovereignty and individual rights that characterize Western democracies."
As if there were no non-Western democracies, or if an embargo and blockade would solve Cuba's anti-democratic problems, the government remains firm in its vision of international politics where there is no neutrality (a constant guideline in Argentine foreign policy), nor mediation (let us remember the two Nobel Peace Prizes to the Argentines Saavedra Lamas and Pérez Esquivel for achieving anti-war mediation and the non-violent liberation of peoples respectively).
It remains to be seen how the new Chancellor will perform and whether the government will achieve its objectives without damaging Argentine diplomacy.
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