President Javier Milei has accused the global health agency of mismanaging the Covid-19 pandemic
Argentina has announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing fundamental policy disagreements, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. The move mirrors a decision made last month by US President Donald Trump.
In a statement on X on Wednesday, President Javier Milei’s office declared that the WHO, which was created to coordinate responses to global health emergencies, had “failed its biggest test” during the coronavirus outbreak.
It further claimed that the prolonged quarantines led to “one of the greatest economic catastrophes in world history.” In Argentina, the months-long lockdowns under the previous government – endorsed by the WHO – crippled the economy and resulted in 130,000 deaths, the presidential office argued.
Milei’s spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, told journalists that Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein had been instructed to initiate Argentina’s withdrawal.
“We Argentinians will not allow an international organization to intervene in our sovereignty, much less in our health,” Adorni stated.
The country does not receive WHO funding, so its withdrawal will not affect national healthcare services, Adorni assured.
The newspaper El Pais reported on Wednesday that the exit aligns with Milei’s long-standing opposition to lockdowns. In 2020, he actively protested against the isolation measures imposed by then-President Alberto Fernandez. At the time, he described the lockdown as “a crime against humanity” that violated personal freedoms.
Trump similarly claimed the WHO had mishandled the pandemic and other international health crises, and had imposed “unfairly burdensome” financial obligations on the US.
On his first day in office, he signed an executive order to initiate the process of withdrawing from the organization, declaring that the US would leave it within 12 months.
The move marked the second time Trump has ordered his country’s withdrawal from the WHO. He took steps to exit the organization in 2020, accusing it of assisting China in efforts to “mislead the world” about the origins of Covid-19. His successor, Joe Biden, then reversed the decision on his inauguration day.
The WHO responded to Washington’s decision by expressing “regret” and emphasizing its critical role in global health and security.
The US has historically been one of the WHO’s largest donors, contributing nearly $950 million in 2024, or 15% of the agency’s total budget.
The self-described anarcho-capitalist Milei was the first foreign leader to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate after the Republican’s 2024 US election victory.
