The Spanish government announced on Sunday that it was recalling “sine die for consultations» his ambassador to Argentina, and summoned the Argentine ambassador to Spain, accusing Argentine President Javier Milei of having “insulted Spain” and its socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during an official visit to Madrid.
In a solemn declaration read on television, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, denounced “extremely serious words» and an attack «unprecedented in the history of relationships» between Spain and Argentina.
“It is unacceptable that a sitting president visiting Spain insults our democracy” And “our people“, he added, referring to a breach of “diplomatic customs» and «the most basic rules of coexistence between countries“. Mr. Albares called for “public apology from Mr. Milei“. “If an apology is not made, we will take whatever action we deem appropriate.“, he warned.
“The Argentine ambassador was summoned. I will convey to him the seriousness of the situation and I will again demand a public apology from Javier Milei“, declared José Manuel Albares on the radio Cadena Ser.
Buenos Aires responded by saying it was up to Pedro Sánchez to apologize for what the Spanish government said regarding Javier Milei. “There is no excuse to make. No excuses. I think, on the contrary, that the Spanish government should apologize for what it said about Milei“, affirmed the Argentine Minister of the Interior Guillermo Francos, to the channel TN.
The Argentine president, in open conflict for several weeks with the Spanish government, uttered the words in question during the “Europa Viva 24” congress organized by the Spanish far-right party Vox, of which he was the guest of honor on Sunday noon.
“Corrupted Woman”
Mr. Milei, accustomed to shock phrases, attacked as he is wont to do in this speech the “socialism» and left-wing parties, but also attacked the Prime Minister’s wife, Begoña Sánchez, accusing her – without naming her – of being “corrupted“.
“Global elites do not realize how destructive implementing the ideas of socialism can be. They don’t know the type of society and country it can produce and the type of people clinging to power and the level of abuse it can generate.“, did he declare. And to add: “When you have a corrupt wife you get dirty and you take five days to think about it“.
These comments were seen as a clear allusion to Mr. Sánchez’s recent decision to suspend all his activities and withdraw for five days to consider resigning, after the Spanish courts opened a preliminary investigation into “Bribery” And “corruption» against his wife.
They were strongly criticized by the head of Spanish diplomacy, who also recalled that Javier Milei had “was welcomed in good faith in the Spanish capital“, And “treated with due respect“.
A first diplomatic quarrel
In a message on the social network X, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, gave his support to the Spanish government. “Attacks against those close to political leaders have no place in our culture: we condemn and reject them, especially when they come from our partners“, he wrote.
The Argentine president, for his part, persisted by publishing the video of his intervention on social networks, accompanied by a short message: “While some want to cover the sun with their hands (…) here are my words which are so disturbing“.
This controversy broke out on the third and last day of a visit to Spain by Javier Milei, who met neither King Felipe VI nor Pedro Sánchez, who had supported his rival Sergio Massa during the Argentine presidential election, during his stay. .
It comes just two weeks after a first diplomatic quarrel, triggered this time by the Spanish Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, who suggested – after seeing Javier Milei on television – that Mr. Milei was taking drugs.
The Argentine presidency reacted by accusing Pedro Sánchez of having “endangered the middle class with its socialist policies that only bring poverty and death“. Critics judged in turn “unfounded» by Madrid. This pass of arms was ultimately considered as “finished» by the Argentine presidency and by Oscar Puente himself, who admitted to having made a “error» and not having been aware of the repercussions of his statements.
By Le360 Africa (with AFP)
05/20/2024 at 7:19 a.m.
