Kehinde Fajobi
Argentina is set to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) over what its government calls the agency’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government spokesman Manuel Adorni announced the decision on Wednesday, stating that President Javier Milei had instructed Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein to begin the exit process.
“President Javier Milei has instructed Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein to withdraw Argentina from the WHO,” Adorni said at a press conference.
He added that the Argentine government, like former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, strongly disagreed with the WHO’s response to the pandemic.
“We Argentines will not allow an international organisation to interfere with our sovereignty and certainly not with our health,” he declared.
During the pandemic, Argentina imposed some of the world’s strictest lockdown measures, with curfews lasting longer than in most countries.
“In some cases, residents were only permitted to leave home for essential shopping or medical appointments.
Milei, a right-wing populist, took office in December 2023 and has since pushed for sweeping changes to Argentina’s domestic and foreign policies.