The ultra-liberal Argentinian President Javier Milei on Sunday received a euphoric reception in Madrid at an election rally organized by the Spanish right-wing populists party Vox for the European elections.
Milei addressed around 11,000 participants from Europe, the US and Latin America. We must say "no more to damned and cancerous socialism," he said.
Socialism leads "to slavery or death," social justice is "always unjust," shouted the guest speaker, who describes himself as an "anarcho-capitalist."
Milei was celebrated like a "rock star," in the Palacio de Vistalegre according to the newspaper El Mundo and other media.
During the Argentinean's performance, people repeatedly chanted "Freedom, freedom."
"Thank you very much, Javier Milei, for the scare you gave the left of the West," said Vox leader Santiago Abascal.
Among the participants were numerous right-wing populist and national conservative politicians from abroad, including Marine Le Pen of France's far-right National Rally, the Portuguese André Ventura, the Chilean José Antonio Kast and also the Israeli Minister for Social Equality Amichai Chikli.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined in with a speech via video link and was also loudly celebrated.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a message in which he described the elections to the European Parliament set for June 6 - June 9 as "a great common fight" against a Europe that promotes "mass illegal migration" and "poisons our children with gender propaganda."
Milei also triggered a diplomatic row with his speech. The 53-year-old harshly criticized Spain's left-wing government and described the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, as "corrupt."
Milei did not mention Gómez by name, but the allusion was clear. The Spanish government's response was not long in coming. It recalled its ambassador in Buenos Aires to Madrid for consultations and "for an indefinite period."
Announcing the measure, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares spoke of a "frontal attack on our democracy, on our institutions and on Spain."
"It is unacceptable for a sitting president to insult Spain and the Spanish prime minister during a visit to Spain," said Albares.
Gómez, who does not hold public office, has been recently accused of influence peddling and business corruption by the right-wing Manos Limpias (Clean Hands) organization, which later acknowledged that the allegations were based on media reports that could be false.
Sánchez unexpectedly said that he was considering stepping down after nearly six years, owing to what he characterized as baseless claims made against his wife, but eventually said he would remain in office.
The public prosecutor's office in Madrid in late April requested that a preliminary investigation into Gómez, 49, be dropped.