The Spanish government responded by recalling its ambassador to Buenos Aires and demanding the Argentinian president publicly apologize. Spain’s foreign minister threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Argentina entirely unless an apology was issued, but Milei refused.
A spokesperson for the palace told Spanish newspaper El País that visits from foreign leaders are coordinated with the Foreign Ministry. The ministry said it doesn’t “comment on the agenda of foreign leaders.”
Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Thursday it is “logical that the king does not want to meet with Milei” as the Argentinian president has “disrespected the [prime minister] of Spain.”
“No Spaniard can accept that because the [prime minister] belongs to all Spaniards, to those who have voted for him and to those who have not,” Robles told Spanish television channel Telecinco.
The king and Milei have met before, with the Spanish head of state attending Milei’s inauguration. Both were also present at the investiture of the Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele earlier this month.
Milei is travelling to Madrid to accept an award from a libertarian thinktank.
