MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

April 2 Malvinas Day to further showcase rift in Argentine gov't

Villarruel has a separate agenda from that of the President, Malvinas or otherwise

The April 2 Malvinas War Veteran's Day holiday will showcase the rift in the Argentine Government much more than it would highlight any question of sovereignty and patriotism. While President Javier Milei will head the ceremony in the Buenos Aires district of Retiro, where a cenotaph remembers thhose fallen in the 1982 conflict, Vice President Victoria Villarruel -who was not invited- is to attend an event in Ushuaia to join a group of former combatants, which her late father also was.

The strained relationship between Milei and Villarruel, marked by limited institutional dialogue, has been evident since the early months of their administration. Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos has, on a few occasions, needed to mediate between the two of them. Villlarruel is also known to be at odds with Presidential Secretary and sister Karina Milei as well as with advisor Santiago Caputo.

Milei has publicly accused her of aligning with the political “caste” and lacking involvement in key decisions. “She does not have any kind of interference in the decision making process, she is close to the caste”, said the President in an interview.

The last public clash between took place on the opening day of this year's Legislature (March 1) when Villarruel declared the session closed and Milei replied: “Don't hurry! I didn't finish!”

In this context, Villarruel has focused on her agenda, including the Senate-led “Malvinas Week” activities from March 31 to April 7, which include lectures, exhibitions, and a film screening about the war, culminating in a book presentation.

“Victoria's idea was to move inland. For decades, she has been going to the cenotaph of the fallen in Malvinas in Plaza San Martín,” sources close to the Senate Speaker told local media. “She wanted to pay tribute to the deep interior this year because they gave a lot of blood to the deed, and what better than in the place closest to the Islands.” Tierra del Fuego Governor Gustavo Melella -a staunch defender of the Malvinas cause- is expected to offer her a warm welcome.

Villarruel's interest in Malvinas is not new. In addition to her family history, she appointed journalist Nicolás Kasanzew to chair a Senate department on the issue. Kasanzew was the Argentine State-run TV correspondent on the islands in 1982 during the war.

Also participating in the Week's closing ceremony on April 7 will be War Veteran and former presidential candidate Juan José Gómez Centurión.

According to Casa Rosada, Milei's presence at the cenotaph symbolizes his commitment to the recovery of the islands, albeit gradually and through diplomatic channels. Joining the President at the ceremony will be Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge Macri, cousin of former President Mauricio Macri. It will be “an official act and a merely institutional meeting,” Buenos Aires City sources insisted.