Cecilia Camarano The Argentine government hurried the swearing-in of new Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein as it waits for the results of the United States elections. Officials in the presidential palace will be closely following the elections, hoping for a Donald Trump win. They argue that his victory would be “very beneficial for Argentina” and could also have a positive impact on the relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
And although they argue that Kamala Harris is not Javier Milei’s candidate, government officials who have direct contact with the Argentine president say that the ties with the U.S. “will not be altered” in case the Democratic candidate comes out on top.
They also do not rule out the possibility that Milei could travel to Washington DC for a potential Trump inauguration. Whoever wins will be sworn in as president on January 20, 2025.
In the meantime, Milei and Werthein will receive two international figures: French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who will visit Argentina in the third week of November.
Supposing the former U.S. president wins the November 5 election, their encounter in January will not be their first. They saw each other for the first time on February 24, 2024, when they had a short meeting on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where the Argentine president was one of the speakers. They have also had exchanges on social media.
The future of the Foreign Ministry
Although the initial plan was for Werthein to remain in the U.S. until the elections were over, the former ambassador sped up his return in order to meet Milei in the Olivos presidential residence last Sunday. He was sworn in on Monday.
The president spoke about former Foreign Minister Diana Mondino’s exit after voting in favor of the economic embargo against Cuba in the General Assembly of the United Nations. “I had stated that I would align myself internationally with the United States and Israel; we had to be on that side, not on the other,” he said in an interview with Magazine TV channel, adding that there will be a “purge of those responsible” in the Foreign Ministry.
Sources from the Executive Branch told Herald sister publication Ambito that in Sunday’s meeting Milei asked Werthein to align foreign policy with “the interests of freedom.” “Foreign policy is set by the president,” they remarked. The new foreign minister has already started his work and held a meeting with his vice minister, Eduardo Bustamante.
The position of Ambassador to the United States is still vacant. Although ruling coalition La Libertad Avanza is seeking to fill the post with “someone purely from the party,” center-right party PRO has already suggested possible names of its own. Former President Mauricio Macri will reappear in public event in Puerto Madero on Tuesday and it is possible that he may also suggest a candidate for the position.