Rift between Javier Milei and his vice president deepens with accusations of coup-mongering and corruption

The conflict between Javier Milei and his vice president, Victoria Villarruel, continues to escalate. In his opening address of the parliamentary year, while insulting and mocking opposition legislators, Milei alluded to an alleged conspiracy involving members of his government to try to overthrow him — and with a rather unsubtle gesture, he seemed to point to Villarruel, seated behind him. Later, other spokespeople for the far right made the accusation explicit: they accused the vice president of being a “coup plotter,” of “working for the opposition,” and of betting on the “government’s failure.” Villarruel responded by asserting that the Casa Rosada (the presidential palace) is seeking her resignation, “but I’m not going to give to them,” while criticizing the far-right administration over various corruption cases.

Last Sunday, in Congress, Milei and Villarruel came face to face again after months without contact. When they weren’t ignoring each other, their interactions were cold and distant, the ritual dance of enemies. Cameras even captured a moment when the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, the president’s sister, tried to block Villarruel’s path and was pushed aside by the vice president.

Speaking before the legislative assembly, Milei asserted that the turmoil his government experienced leading up to the midterm elections last October was the work of both “opponents and allies” who “dreamed of seizing the presidential chair.” While his nod toward Villarruel might have been misleading, subsequent statements from members of his administration dispelled any doubt.

“There is no chance of having any further dealings with her. She is no longer part of the government,” Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni asserted after the event. This Monday, former defense minister and current congressman Luis Petri elaborated: “When the president speaks of those who, from the opposition or from the government, were salivating at the prospect of sitting in the presidential chair, he was clearly alluding to a vice president who did not rise to the occasion.” He added: “Villarruel was complicit with the opposition,” “she bet on the failure of our government and offered herself as an alternative [...] while being second in the line of succession.” Later, he directly labeled her a “coup plotter.”

Villarruel’s response came early Tuesday morning through a series of messages posted on her social media accounts. “That’s what they want. My resignation. But I’m not going to give it to them. December 10, 2027. Until that date, I will hold my position with integrity,” she declared. She also criticized the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, an ally of Karina Milei, for his “extensive knowledge of protocol, ceremony, and sycophancy.”

Vice President Villarruel criticized Petri for his performance as Minister of Defense, a position he held for two years until last December. “Before rambling and commenting like a gossiping neighbor, he should get his facts straight and figure out how he will deal legally with what appears to be embezzlement of funds from the social security system for military personnel and their families,” she stated, referring to possible irregularities at the Armed Forces Social Welfare Institute (IOSFA). A user implicated her in the dissemination of audio recordings in which the former head of the National Disability Agency, Diego Spagnuolo, describes a corruption network in the purchase of medications. “How difficult it must be to avoid implicating those responsible or mentioned by Spagnuolo in order to drag in those of us who have nothing to do with it,” Villarruel retorted, taking as fact the allegations that implicate the far-right leadership and for which high-ranking officials and businesspeople have been prosecuted.

The rift between Milei and Villarruel has been growing since they assumed the presidency. The vice president became known as a defender of the military officers accused of crimes against humanity during the dictatorship and aspired to control the Ministries of Defense and Security, her area of ​​expertise. Milei never yielded to these ambitions and limited his running mate to the role of head of the Senate, the only position the Constitution reserves for the vice president. Meanwhile, Villarruel began to develop a series of activities throughout the country, the complete opposite of Milei’s approach, which has focused on Buenos Aires and his trips abroad, particularly to the United States. In the Casa Rosada, Villarruel’s agenda was interpreted as a betrayal, a bid to promote herself independently of Milei.

The breakdown in the relationship has gestated for two years and now appears irreversible, sowing seeds of unease within the government, on the long road toward the 2027 presidential elections. Villarruel has demonstrated her ability to engage in dialogue with conservative sectors of Peronism, and her figure garners support among right-wing and nationalist groups who disagree with many aspects of the current administration. Should the vice president be a candidate in the upcoming elections, she could siphon off key votes from Milei’s reelection bid.

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