The Spanish government withdrew its ambassador in Buenos Aires amid a deepening diplomatic scandal unleashed during Argentinian President Javier Milei's visit to Madrid at the weekend.
"The situation has not changed and I am therefore announcing that we are withdrawing our ambassador in Buenos Aires. The ambassador will definitely remain in Madrid," Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told journalists on Tuesday.
The step came after Argentina's ultra-liberal leader Milei attended an election rally organized by the Spanish right-wing populist party Vox for the European elections in Madrid on Sunday, where he sharply criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's left-wing government and described the premier's wife, Begoña Gómez, as "corrupt."
In response, Sánchez recalled the ambassador to Madrid for consultations and demanded a "public apology" from the Argentinian president.
Milei not only refused to apologize but made further dismissive statements. "The Socialists are capable of anything. This is diplomatic nonsense," he told La Nación newspaper on Tuesday.
But Argentina is not going to recall its ambassador, he said. "If Pedro Sánchez makes a huge mistake, I won't be stupid enough to make the same mistake. You have to explain to Mr Sánchez that he is not the state, that he is not Spain and that his wife is even less so."
Spain accuses Milei of interfering in Madrid's internal affairs and a "frontal attack" on its democracy, institutions and on Spain.
Sánchez also warned of the danger that the global far-right gathering poses "to societies like [Spain's], in which democracy is based on the pillars of economic progress, social justice and coexistence," and said that "respect is indispensable."
At the rally in Madrid, attended by around 11,000 participants from Europe, the United States and Latin America, Milei was celebrated like a "rock star," according to El Mundo newspaper and other media.
During his speech, the Argentinian president, who describes himself as an "anarcho-capitalist," said that the world must say "no more to damned and cancerous socialism." He also claimed that socialism leads "to slavery or death," and that social justice is "always unjust."
The meeting was also attended by leading far-right, right-wing populist and nationalist conservative politicians from abroad, including Marine Le Pen from the French party National Rally, Portugal's André Ventura from the right-wing populist Enough (Chega) party and the Israeli minister for social equality, Amichai Chikli.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined by video link and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a message in which he described the European Parliament elections from June 6 to 9 as "a great common fight" against a Europe that promotes "mass illegal migration."
