Just four days into 2025, President Javier Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel are already having their first spat of the year after multiple standoffs in 2024. 

Hours after Villarruel complained she had “the lowest salary” in the government, Milei fired back that his running mate was “detached from Argentines’ reality” while noting that he had refused her request for a raise.

“Soon, I’ll be earning two pennies, and I am the vice president,” Villarruel replied to one of her followers on Instagram early Saturday morning. Two days earlier, she announced that she would be renewing a freeze on senators’ salaries that went into effect in August.

Members of the upper chamber of Congress had been scheduled for a raise that would have increased their monthly salaries from AR$9 million to AR$9.5 million in January (roughly US$8,500 to US$9,000 at the official exchange rate or US$7,700 to US$8,100 at the MEP rate). 

As head of the Senate, Villarruel decided to reimpose the freeze on the day it was set to expire amid speculation and criticism from Milei and other government officials.

Milei froze the salaries of 174 government officials when he came into power in December 2023. This freeze applies to ministers, secretaries, undersecretaries, and directors, as well as the president and vice president themselves. 

According to public data, Milei’s monthly earnings are AR$4 million and Villarruel’s AR$3.7 million before healthcare, retirement, and other contributions.

In her post, Villarruel acknowledged that senators must have salaries commensurate with their responsibilities but argued that the government “does not allow” her to earn an income “worthy” of her own position. In her telling, she has “the lowest salary amongst high-ranking officials.”

“I earn less than the president, deputies, senators, ministers, judges, diplomats, spokespeople, and more,” she said. “My salary has been frozen for a year while private healthcare and taxes keep increasing. It’s not enough for anyone who lives on their salary with honesty.”

“In my opinion, these are extremely unfortunate statements,” Milei said of Villarruel’s remarks during an interview with Radio Mitre on Saturday. “She doesn’t understand Argentines’ reality and the effort they have made.” The president remarked that Villarruel is a member of the country’s “political caste,” and that he had denied her request for a pay raise.

“I told her no because we have to accompany the Argentines in their sacrifice,” he said.

A source close to Villarruel who asked not to be named issued a rebuke to the Herald. 

“This whole discussion began because Casa Rosada spread a rumor that Victoria was responsible for the freeze’s scheduled expiration, which is not true,” the source said.

Security Minister Patricia Bullrich also weighed in, telling Radio Mitre on Sunday that “Milei lost the chance to have a vice president that has discipline regarding the government’s strategic decisions.”

“If she says she is freezing the senators’ salaries, and 10 minutes later she says that she earns two pennies, then she isn’t convinced of her decision,” Bullrich continued. 

Two weeks ago, after Villarruel criticized how the Security Ministry handled the detention of an Argentine gendarme in Venezuela, Bullrich implored her to stop an “unreasonable” salary increase for senators.