MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei's positive image drops as Andis scandal deepens

The opposition is “upset because we're stealing their loot,” Milei said during a campaign event, which was interpreted as a Freudian slip

Argentine President Javier Milei's positive image went on a slide on Monday after new audio recordings featuring former National Disability Agency (Andis) Chief Diego Spagnuolo were released, mentioning Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello and ex Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, allegedly involved in corruption.

In the recordings, dating back to between 2024 and earlier this year, Spagnuolo accuses Pettovello of “playing a dirty trick” on him by leaving him exposed to Karina Milei and Eduardo “Lule” Menem, and then feigning ignorance about the situation. He also suggests that Pettovello was a “bitch” who was “acting like a bitch.” Additionally, he claims that Mondino is “in big trouble.”

In response, the government has denied the authenticity and content of the recordings. Lower House Speaker Martín Menem and his cousin Eduardo “Lule” Menem called the recordings a “political operation” by the opposition.

Fernando Soto, a director at the Security Ministry, stated on social media that the audio was “clearly staged and edited” and, even if real, it had been obtained illegally, making it invalid as evidence.

In this scenario, a nationwide survey by Poliarquía Consultores showed that confidence in Milei's government dropped to its lowest point since he took office. In August 2025, the Government Confidence Index (ICG) fell by 13.6% to 2.12 points, a decline the pollsters attribute to the Andis scandal.

The study, published by the School of Government at Torcuato Di Tella University, notes that this month's decline breaks a four-month stability. Confidence fell across all five measured categories, with the sharpest drops in “Concern for the general interest” and “Ability to solve the country's problems.”

Despite the drop, the average ICG for Milei's 20-month term remains higher than the average for the same period under Alberto Fernández.

During a campaign event in Junín on Monday, Milei sparked controversy when he said that “they [the opposition] are upset because we're stealing their loot,” which has been construed as a Freudian slip admitting to some wrongdoing, particularly the kickback scheme between Andis and Droguería Suizo Argentina for the purchase of medicines.