Argentine Official Criticizes Vice President's Comments on President Milei

Argentine Chief of Staff Diego Santilli publicly rebuked Vice President Victoria Villarruel for her recent comments regarding President Javier Milei's mental state. Villarruel had stated that Milei suffers from "imaginary persecutions" and "galloping madness," expressing "genuine concern for his condition." Santilli dismissed these remarks as "nonsense" during an interview on Radio Mitre.

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If there is a person who disagrees, let them step aside. Let them form their own project and compete.

"If there is a person who disagrees, let them step aside. Let them form their own project and compete," Santilli stated, implying that Villarruel should pursue her own political path if she fundamentally opposes Milei's leadership. Villarruel's comments were reportedly a response to a social media post by Deputy Lilia Lemoine, which Milei had amplified. Lemoine accused Villarruel and former official Marcela Pagano of colluding with Peronism to impeach Milei.

Villarruel had also criticized Milei's replication of "insensatez and inventions," expressing deep concern about his state and the "imaginary persecutions" he allegedly projects. She also questioned Villarruel's stance on sports corporations and her contacts with Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, comparing Villarruel and Pagano's relationship to that of "Russia and Iran," suggesting they feign enmity while being partners against the West.

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I am profoundly concerned that the president of the Nation is replicating nonsense and inventions. I have genuine concern for his condition and for the imaginary persecutions he replicates in Argentina and abroad.

Beyond the internal political friction, Santilli affirmed his support for the government's economic agenda. He backed the implementation of a permanent fiscal "shackle" to ensure balanced public accounts and prohibit deficit financing through monetary emission. This includes reforming the Central Bank's Organic Charter to repeal a 2012 regulation that explicitly forbids the monetary authority from financing the public sector through money printing or direct purchase of public debt.

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The only objective must be to preserve the value of the currency.