Villarruel vacations in south, misses Rural Exhibition again

For the second year running, Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel was absent from the opening ceremony of the Rural Exhibition in Palermo. This time, she chose to vacation in the southern town of Villa La Angostura. Her team stated that these personal days off were planned before she received the invitation to the event.

The 138th edition of the Rural Exhibition, an event traditionally marked by the President's address, took place without Villarruel's presence, mirroring the situation in 2025. The Vice President was not in Buenos Aires but was spending her days in Villa La Angostura, located over 1,600 kilometers from the exhibition grounds. Sources close to her indicated the trip was purely for recreation and that she would be vacationing for a few days. They also confirmed her invitation to the ceremony but emphasized her pre-planned rest days coincided with a congressional recess.

President Javier Milei was accompanied at the event by several close cabinet members, including Economy Minister Luis Caputo, Capital Humano Minister Sandra Pettovello, Chamber of Deputies President Martín Menem, Chief of Staff Diego Santilli, Senate bloc leader Patricia Bullrich, and Secretary General of the Presidency Karina Milei. Since Milei's inauguration, the Rural Exhibition has served as a barometer for the deteriorating relationship between him and Villarruel.

In 2024, during the administration's first year, the ceremony focused on Milei's inaugural speech at the venue and his reunion with Villarruel amidst emerging internal party conflicts. That year, Villarruel attended, but their interaction was marked by a noticeable coolness, contrasting with Milei's warmer gestures toward others. A year later, the internal strife was no longer a secret, with reports suggesting Villarruel's isolation from the core leadership.

Furthermore, Villarruel's camp alleged that while she was invited, the Presidential Protocol office did not issue entry QR codes for her companions. This led the Senate President to withdraw, perceiving it as a deliberate attempt to sideline her. As Milei declared a "radically different future" for the agricultural sector and criticized Brazil's government for allegedly funding anti-Argentina campaigns, Villarruel's absence underscored the administration's internal dynamics.