War Of Words Breaks Out Between Spain & Argentina Over Milei Rally

A war of words has broken out between Spain and Argentina after the Argentinian President, Javier Milei used an appearance in Madrid to make derogatory comments about the Spanish prime minister’s wife.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Announced yesterday that the government was withdrawing its ambassador to the country and  demanded that the Argentinian leader issue an apology for his comments.

Milei, who began his visit to Spain on Friday, broke diplomatic protocol by refusing to meet either King Felipe VI or Prime Minister Sanchez.

Instead, he preferred to promote his book alongside Vox leader Santiago Abascal at a party rally.

The anti-establishment Argentine was the star speaker at a meeting of global far-right leaders organised by Spain’s Vox party called Viva 24, which also featured Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen.

On his first day in Spain, Milei denounced what he called “satanic” socialism.

“Let us not let the dark, black, satanic, atrocious, horrible carcinogenic side that is socialism prevail over us,” he said in a talk about his books on libertarian ideas.

The accusations of corruption against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez are not the first to be made but the first time a visiting international leader has joined the fray.

Last month Sanchez threatened to resign  over the extent of personal attacks against his wife.

“I am going to explain to him the gravity of the situation and I am going to demand again a public apology by Javier Milei,” Albares told Cadena SER radio.

Addressing a rally in Madrid organised by the far-right Vox party and attended by many of its international allies, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen, on Sunday, Milei referred to a “corrupt woman”. While he did not name Gomez, his meaning was clear.

“The global elites don’t realise how destructive it can be to implement the ideas of socialism… even if you have a corrupt wife, let’s say, it gets dirty, and you take five days to think about it,” Milei said.

Sanchez spent five days last month mulling his future after a court opened a preliminary probe into his wife for suspected influence peddling and corruption.

Sanchez dismissed the allegations against Gomez as part of a campaign of political harassment by right-wing forces.

Milei’s comments did not come out of the blue. Argentina and Spain have had diplomatic daggers drawn, trading jibes over drug use and economic and social policy in the weeks ahead of a visit to the Spanish capital by the self-described “anarcho-capitalist” president.

“With his behaviour, Milei has brought the relationship between Spain and Argentina to its most serious state in recent history,” Albares said in a video statement.

The foreign minister added that he would not exclude the rupture of diplomatic ties with Argentina if no apology were made.

“We clearly do not want to take these measures but if there is no public apology, we will do it,” he said.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, weighed in on the side of his fellow Spaniard by saying that “attacks against family members of political leaders have no place in our culture”.

But Milei’s spokesperson said the Argentinian leader would not apologise, saying Spanish officials should retract insults they have made against him.

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