Argentina's Vice President challenges Milei over support for embattled Chief of Staff

Argentina's Vice President Victoria Villarruel openly confronted President Javier Milei during a national flag ceremony in Rosario, criticizing his public endorsement of Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni.

Villarruel expressed her disapproval to journalists covering the institutional event, stating, "It was a patriotic ceremony, not an occasion to support Adorni." She attended the event at the invitation of the governor of Santa Fe province, Maximiliano Pullaro, but was not part of the official government delegation, as Milei had reportedly not permitted her inclusion.

The friction between Milei and Villarruel has been evident since the beginning of their administration. Despite running together on the same ticket and winning the 2023 elections, disagreements have surfaced repeatedly. Milei has notably excluded the vice president from official activities, a situation attributed to their distinct political visions, even within the far-right spectrum.

Further contributing to the tension are Villarruel's criticisms of Milei's international travel expenses while implementing austerity measures and public spending cuts in Argentina. Adding to the complexity is the widely known lack of rapport between Villarruel and the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, as well as with Adorni, the controversial Chief of Staff closely aligned with the Milei siblings.

Adding another layer to the political maneuvering, President Milei announced on Friday the appointment of Adrián Ravier, an ultraliberal economist, to replace Adorni. Ravier will assume a role that, while significant, appears to have less public exposure than Adorni's current position as Chief of Staff, which Milei intends for Adorni to retain for now amidst the ongoing judicial investigation into alleged illicit enrichment.

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Es un acto patrio, no era un acto para apoyar a Adorni