Argentina's Milei insults Spanish PM Sanchez again
MADRID (Reuters) -Argentina's President Javier Milei insulted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at an event in Madrid, a year after a similar attack escalated into a diplomatic spat.
At the Madrid Economic Forum event on Sunday evening, Milei called for "clobbering the local bandit", referring to Sanchez without naming him directly.
Sanchez's office declined to comment on the incident.
Elected in late 2023, Milei, a libertarian and former TV pundit, has often taken maverick positions and made theatrical gestures, such as smashing a pinata of the central bank on live TV.
In May 2024, Milei called Sanchez's wife Begona Gomez "corrupt" at another event in Madrid. The comment led to a diplomatic spat, with the Spanish government withdrawing its ambassador from Buenos Aires for several months when Milei refused to apologise.
Milei subsequently doubled down calling Sanchez "arrogant", "totalitarian" and a "coward", although Argentina kept its ambassador in Madrid.
Gomez is under preliminary investigation for possible influence peddling and corruption. She and her husband have denied any wrongdoing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Milei says Argentina to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem in 2026
Argentine President Javier Milei said Wednesday his country would in 2026 move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the status of which is one of the most delicate issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. "I am proud to announce before you that in 2026 we will make effective the move of our embassy to the city of west Jerusalem, as we promised," Milei said in a speech in the Israeli parliament during an official state visit. Argentina's embassy is currently located in Herzliya near the coastal city of Tel Aviv. This is Milei's second visit to Israel since being elected in 2023. His previous trip, in February 2024, was his first official state visit outside of Argentina. During that trip he announced plans to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem -- a controversial move that echoed US President Donald Trump's shock 2017 decision to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967, later annexing it in a move not recognised by the international community. Israel treats the city as its capital, while Palestinians want east Jerusalem to become the capital of a future state. Most foreign embassies to Israel are located in the coastal hub city of Tel Aviv in order to avoid interfering with negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking ahead of Milei's address to parliament on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the city of Jerusalem will never be divided again." Several countries, including the United States, Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo, have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, breaking with international consensus. - 'Stand firm' - In 2017, during his first term as US president, Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking Palestinian anger and the international community's disapproval. The United States transferred its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. Milei, who has professed a deep interest in Judaism and studied Jewish scripture, is one of Israel's staunchest defenders. As Israel faces mounting international pressure over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza after more than 20 months of war, Milei sought to express his support. "As a nation, we want to stand firm alongside you as you go through these dark days, we will not yield to criticism resulting from cowardice or complicity with barbarism," he said on Tuesday during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He also demanded the "unconditional return of the four Argentines still in captivity" in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. The Palestinian militant group's attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli military offensive has killed at least 55,104 people, the majority civilians. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable. Out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 are still held in Gaza including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. lma-acc/ysm
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Argentina to move embassy in Israel to Jerusalem next year
Argentina will relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2026, President Javier Milei announced during a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Wednesday. "We want to honour the historic friendship that unites our peoples and strengthens the commercial and diplomatic ties between us," Milei was quoted as saying by Israeli media. The Argentine president has been on a state visit to Israel since Monday evening and is seen as a close ally of the country. The relocation of embassies to Jerusalem remains internationally controversial, as it is widely viewed as a potential endorsement of Israel's claim over the entire city, including East Jerusalem. Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and claims the whole city as its capital. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. Only a few countries have aligned with Israel's position. The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 under President Donald Trump, and the decision was upheld by his successor Joe Biden. Since then, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Papua New Guinea have followed suit. Kosovo, which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2021, also opened its embassy in Jerusalem that year.
UPI
38 minutes ago
- UPI
Argentina to move embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv
June 11 (UPI) -- Argentina will move its embassy from a Tel Aviv suburb to Jerusalem next year, Argentinian President Javier Milei announced Wednesday night in a speech in his honor in Israel's Knesset. Milei is participating in a three-day visit to Israel that began Tuesday. In Jerusalem, he was welcomed in the Knesset by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. They praised the warm ties between Israel and the South American nation under his leadership. Milei has been Argentina's president since 2023. "Javier, you are a true friend," Netanyahu said. "With this visit, we are bringing our relations to new heights. 12,000 kilometers [7,500 miles] separate Buenos Aires, Israel and the Knesset in Jerusalem. This great distance is compensated for by the closeness of our hearts." Milei first announced his intention to move the embassy in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, during his first state visit to Israel in February 2024. "In 2026 we will make effective the move of our embassy to the city of West Jerusalem," he said Wednesday. Ohana called the embassy move an "historic moment in the history of Israel-Argentina relations." Jerusalem is a religious city and Tel Aviv is secular. Argentina also doesn't have a consulate in Jerusalem, which is 42 miles east of Tel Aviv. There are about 90 foreign embassies in Tel Aviv and six in Jerusalem: United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo and Papa New Guinea. During President Donald Trump's first presidency, he ordered the U.S. embassy to move Tel Aviv, and it became official on May 14, 2018. Milei began is speech describing the current political atmosphere globally: "cancer" of spreading antisemitism and "corruption" of Western values, noting the left has lost its moral compass and was "siding with Hamas." "Argentina will not stand on the sidelines," he said in noting it will "raise its voice in defense of fellow human beings." Lapid commended Milei for being "truly right wing" due to his slashing government spending, lowering inflation and investing in the middle class. Lapid said his current government was doing the opposite. Mileil said that, though Israel is in a hostile region, the nation is a bastion of democracy. He counted the number of "miracles" -- the formation of the state, its victory in the war of independence, its emergence as a global technological leader and economic reforms of the 1980s during hyperinflation. "Unfortunately, I do not have the good fortune of visiting Israel during peaceful times," Milei said at the Knesset. "On October 7, the people of Israel were victims of a barbaric attack. We thought we had finally ended such barbarism, but the tragedy woke us from that dream." He noted four Argentine nationals remain in Hamas captivity and vowed Argentina would continue to pursue their release. Milei met with survivors of Hamas captivity and families of Argentine hostages. Netanyahu said: In the face of this unprecedented and brutal aggression, you spoke with absolute clarity. We stand with you in the battle against the forces of darkness. "You have taken a stand for truth against falsehood, understanding that this is a war of unparalleled justice -- an all-out battle against barbarism that threatens the entire world," he added. Netanyahu described Argentina's role in Jewish history, calling the nation a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution in the 19th century. Milei said his country's "economic miracle" is occurring because of the opposition to "unnecessary" government spending and carrying out fiscal and monetary reforms. He is scheduled to conclude his visit on Thursday with a return to the Western Wall. During a meeting between Milei and Netanyahu on Tuesday, they spoke about plans for a direct flight between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv by the Israeli carrier El Al. It would be the first flight between those cities since the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1960.
