BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The usual suspects abstained from voting on a seemingly uncontroversial United Nations resolution that denounced violence against women and girls on Thursday — Iran, Russia, North Korea.
But the country casting the sole vote against the nonbinding resolution, drafted by France and the Netherlands, took the world by surprise. It was Argentina, long considered one of Latin America’s most socially progressive countries.
Unleashing an avalanche of criticism across the political spectrum on Friday, the ‘no’ vote by Buenos Aires marked the latest in a series of dramatic foreign policy shifts under President Javier Milei, the most right-wing leader in Argentina's 41 years of democracy.
It comes just days after Milei, an outspoken climate change skeptic, abruptly called Argentina's negotiators home from the U.N. climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, stirring concerns that the radical economist might seek to emulate former U.S. President Donald Trump in withdrawing Argentina entirely from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Not only has Milei transformed Argentine foreign policy in line with the United States and Israel, his government has also taken fringe positions on the global stage that fly in the face of the liberal, rules-based international order.
“It's a big break with standard Argentine foreign policy, which has long been oriented toward making Argentina an integrated part of the Global South,” said Richard Sanders, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former State Department official in the region. “It’s a definitely a significant change in how Argentina relates internationally.”
Argentina's vote at the U.N. Thursday recalled a similar clash last month when Argentina became the only member of all the Group of 20 nations to sign onto a statement adopting language about gender equality.
“Argentina votes alone, against the rest of humanity,” the conservative party of former President Mauricio Macri, an ally of Milei’s government, wrote on social media platform X Friday.
Another centrist party, the Unión Cívica Radical, joined the chorus of local condemnation.
“By fighting imaginary cultural battles we end up isolated from the world,” said Senator Martín Lousteau, president of the centrist party.
Lousteau denounced Argentina’s U.N. vote opposing an end to gender violence as a “disgrace.” Top official Guillermo Francos defended the decision, saying “neither commitments nor treaties will solve the issue of gender violence.”
Nearly a year into his presidency, the former Argentine TV pundit remains erratic and idiosyncratic in the global spotlight, in striking similarity to Trump. Milei became the first foreign leader since the U.S. election to meet Trump, albeit informally, late Thursday at the president-elect's private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
In a congratulatory phone call with Trump earlier this week, Miei's spokesperson reported that Trump told the Argentine leader: “You're my favorite president." Trump has not confirmed the claim.
The Argentine presidency on Friday proudly released a stream of photos from Mar-a-Lago featuring Milei in a sharp suit beaming alongside Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, with whom Milei has also publicly cultivated a bromance over their shared contempt for “wokeness," gender issues and socialism.
In November 2023, an angry Argentine electorate fed up with sky-high inflation, debt defaults and bank runs handed the outsider a sweeping mandate to carry out an overhaul of Argentina's crisis-stricken economy.
But along with Milei's libertarian crusade has come a series of cultural battles — both at home, where the president eliminated Argentina's women’s and environment ministries and scrapped the national anti-discrimination institute, as well as abroad, where Milei has sought to fashion himself as a far-right icon, raising the hackles of key allies like Braziland Spain.
“Milei got into the presidency on the basis of his clearly stated libertarian views, it was all about the economy,” Sanders said. “But these other views are nothing he kept hidden.”
Tensions over Milei's culture war escalated this month. When Argentina voted at the U.N. in favor of ending the American economic embargo against Cuba on Oct. 30, Milei fired then-Foreign Minister Diana Mondino over what he called her “unforgivable mistake” and swiftly replaced her with Gerardo Werthein, a wealthy businessman who had been Buenos Aires’ ambassador to the U.S.
This weekend, Milei and Werthein plan to meet Trump again at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Experts say that Milei hopes to cash in on his friendship with Trump to help crisis-stricken Argentina secure a much-needed infusion cash infusion from the International Monetary Fund, to which Argentina owes over $44 billion. The U.S. is the fund’s largest shareholder.
In recent weeks, Milei's shock dismissal of Argentina's top diplomat — a polished political performer who frequently worked to mend diplomatic relations strained by Milei’s profanity-laden fights with traditional allies — has sent shivers through Argentina's diplomatic ranks.
Milei has vowed to purge his foreign ministry of so-called “traitors to the country” who have strayed from his stance, which includes rejecting the “Pact for the Future” adopted by the U.N. in September that promotes climate action, female empowerment and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
Local media has reported the forced resignations of at least seven diplomats in recent weeks who were perceived as critical of the president's Trump-like attacks on the collective philosophy of the U.N. Milei accuses such multilateral forums of restricting members’ freedom.
Argentina's left-leaning Peronist movement — which has dominated the country's politics for decades — was seething Friday, with lawmakers aghast at what they saw as the unraveling of hard-won social gains like Argentina's breakthrough legalization of abortion in 2020 and recent efforts to curb fossil fuels.
“For you, freedom is violence,” said Mayra Mendoza, a prominent Peronist politician on Friday, addressing Milei.
The libertarian has called abortion “murder," climate change a “socialist lie" and the U.N. a “leviathan with multiple tentacles.”
Argentina's President Javier Milei arrives to speak before President-elect Donald Trump during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty and an overhead kick as Portugal beat Poland 5-1 to guarantee a place in the Nations League quarterfinals on Friday.
Scotland had its first win in nine games to keep alive its hopes of staying in the tournament’s top tier.
The match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended in stoppage time and later abandoned with the score 0-0 in Bucharest. There were scuffles between players from both teams and Kosovo players walked off the pitch.
European soccer body UEFA did not explain why the game was cut short but Kosovo players were reportedly upset at hearing pro-Serbian slogans.
“The UEFA Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo has been abandoned. UEFA will communicate further information in due course," it said on its website.
After historic tensions were heightened by the 1990s Balkans conflicts, in 2008 majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo declared independence for the former Serbian province. Serbia refuses to recognize that independence and considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood.
Games involving Kosovo, Albania and Serbia have been a tinder box in recent years.
Spain, which had already secured first place in Group A4, beat Denmark 2-1 in Copenhagen, and in the same group Serbia grabbed a late equalizer in Switzerland to condemn the Swiss to relegation into the second tier.
France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal are all assured one of the eight quarterfinal spots. The games will be held from March 20-23.
The eight teams are also guaranteed a spot in Pot 1 for the qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo turned in a man-of-the match performance in a blistering second half.
Portugal took its time to overcome a hapless Poland but three goals in the last 10 minutes clinched the match. Rafael Leão broke the deadlock with a fine header 14 minutes into the second half and then Ronaldo got his 134th international goal from the penalty spot 13 minutes later.
Ronaldo made it five — and 135 — with a deft overhead kick three minutes from time.
The result ended Poland's hopes of making the quarterfinals.
Scotland had its first win in nine games with a late John McGinn goal giving the home side the slimmest of wins over a 10-man Croatia in Group A1.
Petar Sucic was sent off for a second yellow card offense two minutes before halftime but Scotland struggled to capitalize.
It wasn’t until four minutes from time that substitute McGinn broke the deadlock to the delight of the Hampden Park crowd.
The result left Scotland with two points and Poland with four. The teams meet in Warsaw on Monday with Scotland needing a win to avoid relegation to the second tier.
Denmark had not beaten Spain since 1993 and it got off to a bad start when Mikel Oyarzabal took advantage of poor defending to give the visitors the lead after 15 minutes.
The European champions were on top throughout, with Oyarzabal and Ayoze Pérez combining well up front. Pérez hit the bar early but later he took a pass from Olmo and finished clinically with 58 minutes gone.
The Danes are in second place with seven points, two ahead of Serbia. The sides meet in Leskovac on Monday. Last-place Switzerland will drop to League B.
In Zurich, Zeki Amdouni put Switzerland ahead after 79 minutes and looked to be on course for its first win in the tournament.
But with three minutes left, Serbia broke upfield and Aleksa Terzić provided the finish to level the scores. Gregor Kobel saved a penalty from Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović early in the second half.
In Group C3, Northern Ireland took a big step closer to promotion to League B with a 2-0 win at home over Belarus. Daniel Ballard’s goal five minutes into the second half put Northern Ireland ahead and Dion Charles doubled its lead 13 minutes later to take it on to 10 points.
Martin O’Neil’s men just need a point in Luxembourg on Monday to guarantee promotion to League B.
Bulgaria beat Luxembourg 1-0 away from home and is in second place with eight points. It faces Belarus, which has six, on Monday.
San Marino scored a stoppage time penalty to draw with Gibraltar 1-1.
Gibraltar went ahead when Liam Walker converted an early penalty kick.
However, Nanni’s last-gasp equalizer still leaves Gibraltar unbeaten in six games. It sits atop Group D1 with six points, two ahead of San Marino and four clear of Liechtenstein, albeit having played one game more.
With one game to go, all three teams are still in contention for promotion to League C.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Scotland's John McGinn, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Croatia at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, right, celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Poland at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo gestures during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Poland at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
Croatia's Luka Sucic kicks the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Croatia at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo gestures during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Poland at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
Croatia's Luka Modric reacts during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Croatia at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Portugal's Rafael Leao, right, vies for the ball with Poland's Nicola Zalewski during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Poland at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
A linesman kicks the balloon during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Croatia at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Portugal's Joao Neves heads the ball above Poland's Piotr Zielinski during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Poland at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo steps on the foot of Poland's Kacper Urbanski during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Poland at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
