MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei ups rift with Villarruel

Milei reposted publications calling Villarruel a “traitor”, a “demagogue,” and a “brute”

Argentine President Javier Milei has publicly escalated his conflict with Vice President Victoria Villarruel, reposting a series of accusatory messages on his X account, labeling her a “traitor,” “demagogue,” and “brute.” This follows growing tension between the two, particularly after Villarruel presided over a Senate session that approved opposition-backed bills to increase pensions, which Milei vowed to veto.

The Libertarian leader blames Villarruel for allowing a Senate debate to proceed and vote on pension increase and disability emergency bills, which Milei regards as jeopardizing his government's fiscal surplus.

Milei's reposts include strong criticisms from his inner circle, such as Libertarian publicist Santiago Oría, a government official, who called Villarruel “a demagogue and ignorant in economic terms.” Other shared messages accuse her of “betraying” Milei and embracing “the worst kind of populism” by promising money the country lacks.

Villarruel has defended her actions, stating that retirees and disabled individuals “cannot wait,” while challenging Milei to ”save on travel and the SIDE (Intelligence Secretariat)“ to fund such increases. She has described herself as a ”nationalist“ and denied any connection to Kirchnerism, pushing back against what she perceives as baseless accusations.

The public spat has become increasingly personal, with Milei indirectly referring to Villarruel as ”one traitor“ in a recent speech. Villarruel, in turn, has questioned Milei's maturity and communication, remarking, ”A president who can't even greet a person with whom he came to power? Make your complaint to him, because I never lose my manners.”

This ongoing public dispute highlights a significant rift within Argentina's ruling administration, with implications for the legislative agenda and political stability, ahead of the Oct. 26 mid-term elections.