Argentina’s Foreign Minister Werthein quits before important legislative elections
Gerardo Werthein, Argentina’s foreign minister, quit just a few days before important parliamentary elections.
The presidential office stated on Wednesday that Gerardo Werthein, Argentina’s Foreign Minister, has quit. He is the second foreign minister to leave office under President Javier Milei’s leadership.
Even though the government didn’t say why Werthein quit right away or name a replacement, stories in the local media said he had planned to leave after Sunday’s legislative elections. He instead gave his notice of retirement late Tuesday night.
Werthein was Argentina’s ambassador to the US before becoming foreign minister. He was in that job for almost a year. He took over for Diana Mondino, Milei’s first foreign minister, who was fired for voting in favor of ending the US ban on Cuba at the UN.
Milei’s libertarian party wants to increase the number of minorities in Congress to support his broad austerity and economic reform plan. The resignation comes just days before an important legislative vote. The public is getting more and more angry at the government because of recent corruption scandals and hard spending cuts that hurt weak citizens.
Recently, President Milei made a suggestion that the cabinet might be changed after the snap elections. The move also comes at a time when Argentina is getting more attention from other countries. Washington has linked continued financial support to the results of the election. A $20 billion currency swap has already been agreed upon between the US Treasury and Argentina. Another $20 billion facility is allegedly being set up with banks and investors.
Werthein’s sudden departure makes Milei’s government even less certain as it tries to balance efforts to get the economy back on track with keeping things stable politically at home and abroad.
