Argentine President Javier Milei speaks during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. At that time, Ricardo Lagorio was already resisted by the Casa Rosada/USA, on September 24, 2024. EFE/JUSTIN LANE
In it Decree 957/2024published in the Official Gazette, The Government appointed Francisco Tropepi as the new permanent representative of Argentina to the United Nations. Tropepi, who until now supported the Argentine ambassador in Washington Gerardo Wertheinreceives the rank of “Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador”, according to the text signed by President Javier Milei and Foreign Minister Diana Mondino.
This measure also includes the departure of Ricardo Lagorio and establishes its transfer “from the Permanent Representation of the Republic to the United Nations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship.”
The decision to relieve Lagorio responds to internal tensions in the Argentine diplomatic sphere. Sources from the Foreign Ministry previously stated to Infobae that the official position seeks a alignment with the vision of Javier Mileiexpressed in the United Nations General Assembly.
In his speech, Milei harshly criticized various international organizations and the agreements of the 2030 Agenda, called the “Pact for the Future,” and declared his intention to turn Argentina into a “lighthouse of the world” in terms of free market positions and conservative social and political positions.
Karina Milei, General Secretary of the Presidency, Karina, and her advisor Santiago Caputo, known as the “iron triangle”, have promoted reforms both in substance and in the form of national diplomacy. A libertarian source declared Infobae that “some insiders are the most rancid expression of the caste.”
Francisco Tropepi will be the new Argentine ambassador to the UN
In this context, the Milei brothers made clear their disagreement with Lagorio’s performance in his mission to the UN, one of the most relevant positions in Argentine diplomacy, considering that he did not adequately represent the government’s ideology.
Infobae He had reported on Lagorio’s probable departure weeks before, indicating that there was resistance to his figure within the Casa Rosada. This measure, which caused discomfort among professional sectors and those identified with the libertarian line, included restrictions for Lagorio, who was excluded from key events during Milei’s visit to New York in September.
In geopolitical terms, the president considers the 2030 Agenda as an extension of Antonio Gramsci’s concept of the influence of the State on culture. According to Milei, the so-called “Future Pact” is a threat to Argentina’s interests, since it promotes a global agenda with objectives such as peace, climate change and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
The president questions the authority of the UN to impose consensus norms, and argues that the organization has not demonstrated an effective capacity to manage conflicts in crisis zones such as the Middle East and Central Europe. Furthermore, he perceives a contradiction in the principles of the “Future Pact” and the UN’s constant support for Palestine, a territory divided between the Hamas group in Gaza and the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank, whose situation he considers a threat to Israel.
Ricardo Lagorio was relieved of his position by decree, after several months of internal conflict in the Chancellery (Prensa Legislatura)
In contrast to the president’s position, Lagorio had proposed a more neutral diplomatic vision in the context of the United Nations. In his perspective, an abstention in voting on Palestine, instead of a categorical rejection, could align Argentine diplomacy with the commitment to Israel without openly confronting other actors on the multilateral scene. However, Milei rejected this perspective.
This diplomatic approach of Lagorio, focused on moderating the concept of “friend-enemy” in international relations, became a factor in its replacement. Although he did not challenge Milei’s political line, his attempt to qualify the Argentine position was not well received in the Casa Rosada. Thus, the decision to remove him from office was framed in a context of renewed tensions within the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a result, Mondino lost a key piece in the management of diplomacy, while the sectors closest to libertarian ideology reaffirmed their position.
In accordance with these tensions and in a process that continues to affect other diplomatic positions, the government seeks to structure a foreign representation that strictly reflects its principles.
Meanwhile, days ago, it was reported that who was Diana Mondino’s second, Leopoldo Sahores, left his position as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Instead, Eduardo Bustamante, who had been serving as consul in Montevideo, will take over.
