Argentina will exit the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a statement from President Javier Milei’s office on Wednesday, following the United States’ withdrawal from the UN agency last month.
Milei’s decision stems from “significant disagreements over health management, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said spokesman Manuel Adorni.
He added that Argentina would not allow any international organization to interfere with its sovereignty.
Read Also: WHO Chief Counters Trump Criticisms Behind US Pullout
The move also allows Argentina “greater flexibility to implement locally tailored policies” while ensuring “better availability of resources,” he noted.
An outspoken “anarcho-capitalist,” Milei is a supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order on his first day in office to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO, criticizing the organization’s handling of the pandemic.
The U.S. had been the largest contributor to the WHO, and its exit could leave global health initiatives underfunded.
Since taking office in December 2023, Milei has implemented severe austerity measures, aiming to achieve a zero budget deficit after years of overspending.
Although these measures have led to a rise in poverty, Argentina achieved its largest trade surplus in 2024, partly due to reduced imports and spending.
Milei was the first foreign leader to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate after Trump’s victory in the November 2020 U.S. election.
