The Argentine residence in Venezuela, built in modern style, with a large park and swimming pool, with a spectacular view of the eastern Caracas valley, now has new guests. The government of right-wing libertarian Javier Milei has granted asylum to six members of Maria Corina Machado’s opposition political party Vente Venezuela, triggering a diplomatic conflict that has complicated already difficult relations between the two countries.
The day before, the Venezuelan government accused the United States of kidnapping, with the complicity of Argentine authorities, a Boeing 747–300 transport plane of Aerocargos del Sur (Emtrasur), formerly owned by an IRGC-affiliated Iranian company that is under U.S. sanctions. The transport plane, detained in Argentina, was handed over by the Milei government to the United States, which “dismantled” the plane in Miami in a futile search for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
In response, the Venezuelan government banned air travel from and to Argentina over its territory. Buenos Aires changed air routes and specifically routed its airliners through Essequibo, a Guyanese territory that Venezuela disputes.
President Maduro spared no swear words for Milei: «He’s acting like a madman, or he’s crazy for real, or both. He is a mistake of history», Maduro said.
Milay did not stay in debt and intensified his attacks on the Venezuelan president, whom he called an «impoverished socialist» and Venezuela a «butcher shop».
Moreover, the «authoritarian» leaders of Cuba and Nicaragua, whom the Argentine called «truly despicable» and the «worst presidents» of Latin America, were also attacked.
«After them, there is another example of the same type. For example, the Colombia of Mr. Petro, the murderous communist who is drowning Colombia», Milei said of Colombia’s democratically elected president, Gustavo Petro, and «diplomatically» hinted at his involvement as a young man in the insurgency.
Milei does not hide his attitude toward the left and demonstrated it already during his campaign, showing up at a meeting with voters with a chainsaw, with which he threatened leftist opponents as «useless parasites» and «human excrement».
«This is not a time for pretty words and good manners», he declared then. And after becoming president, he shifted his vocabulary to international relations.
«Moron», «ignoramus», «fascist», «small penis club», «island prison» — these are only the most decent of the epithets with which Argentine President Javier Milei awarded his Latin American neighbors. Even his compatriot, the current Pope Francis, whom he called a «communist» and «representative of evil on earth», got in on the act.
Buenos Aires’ diplomatic relations with Latin America, especially with the leaders of countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico and Colombia, according to Argentine newspaper EL Diario, have changed dramatically since Javier Milei took office.
CNN’s «Oppenheimer Presents» program aired an extensive interview with Milei in which he accused Colombia of «following the same path as those countries on the continent (Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua) where there are no free elections».
«In the case of Colombia with Mr. Petro, you can’t expect much from a man who was a murderous communist terrorist», Milei told veteran Argentine journalist Andres Oppenheimer.
«The Argentine president’s remarks undermined our nation’s trust in him and insulted the dignity of President Petro, who was democratically elected». the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that this was not the first time that Milei insulted the Colombian president, «affecting the historical ties» between the two countries. The Colombian government has ordered the expulsion of all Argentine diplomats from the country’s embassy in Bogota.
In a 50-minute televised conversation, Milei also managed to insult Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), calling the Mexican president «ignorant, truly pathetic, deplorable, disgusting».
Lopez Obrador did not immediately respond to the offender — it was Catholic Holy Week. In his social media post, Lopez Obrador hit back, calling Miley a «facho» (fascist).
«Milei claimed I was «ignorant» because I called him a «conservative freak». He is right: I still don’t understand how Argentines, being so intelligent, voted for someone who is inaccurate, who despises the people and who dared to accuse his compatriot, the most Christian defender of the poor, the Pope», the Mexican president said.
The Argentine digital newspaper La Politica Online referred in this regard to its sources, who claim: Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena Ibarra suggested «following Colombia’s example» and recalling its ambassador from Buenos Aires.
«I think Milei seeks to destroy or at least postpone [in the interests of the United States] the Latin American integration project», Colombian President Gustavo Petro suggested on the X Network.
Milei, analysts noted, is practicing demagoguery in foreign policy, which will have consequences in the future not only for his own country but also for Latin American cooperation.
«In addition to confrontation with Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela, Milei neglects Brazil and other neighboring countries, which is damaging at the commercial and political levels. <…> Thus, Javier Milei’s speech becomes the detonator of a situation of confrontation in the Latin American dormitory that goes beyond simple disagreements», writes the Colombian newspaper El Cambio.
In an interview with CNN, Milei also spoke about the deterioration (in 100 days of his presidency!) of bilateral relations with the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, which he considers dictatorships. He shared that close ties with Chile and Bolivia have been lost, relations with the governments of Peru and Ecuador are not smooth at the moment, and contacts with the presidents of Uruguay and Paraguay remain rather superficial.
«Attacks, disqualifications and disrespect have characterized his [Javier Milei’s] political activity from the very beginning», Radio Deutsche Welle was forced to admit.
Argentine political scientist César Murua divided Milei’s international relations into two plans: an «institutional» one in which he «does not comply with policies that can be clearly defined and for which he does not have a professional and experienced cabinet to guide and maintain him». And «personal», in which the Argentine president cannot keep his mouth shut, which is reproduced by «an anachronistic, overly ideologized and marked by his personal preferences worldview».
Milei’s controversial relationship with leaders of major Latin American countries contrasts with praise for the United States and Israel.
«Our geopolitical worldview is the United States and Israel», Milei states. «We are not going to join the communists», he challenges all leftists and centrists.
Javier Miley can probably be pitied in a human way. Journalist Juan Luis Gonzalez in his biographical book tells about the difficult childhood of the current president of Argentina. Milei still refers to his parents as «parents» in quotation marks. He often says that for him, «they are dead».
«Javier was a deeply lonely boy with a very difficult life», writes Juan Luis Gonzalez. — «All his life he was told he was a failure. There was a lot of violence in the house, he was bullied, his father beat him with sticks and created situations for him in which he was forced to fail. He had no friends. The loneliness and lack of affection was such that he convinced himself that his dog Conan was his son. For 15 Christmases and New Year’s holidays, he celebrated alone with the dog».
Cornered, Milei is now taking revenge on those who cornered him, but on an interstate level. But this is not the best way out for the leader of a large country. Even America and Israel will not help.