Argentina quits WHO
President Javier Milei’s decision was based on ‘deep differences regarding health management especially during the pandemic’
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President Javier Milei’s decision was based on ‘deep differences regarding health management especially during the pandemic’
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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) — Argentina said Wednesday it will quit the World Health Organization (WHO), following in the footsteps of Donald Trump’s United States and citing similar complaints over the United Nations (UN) body’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Railing against the economic fallout of Covid-19 lockdowns, President Javier Milei lamented “one of the most bizarre crimes against humanity” as he explained the reasons for the move.
Argentina’s self-declared “anarcho-capitalist” leader said the WHO had been “the executing arm of what was the greatest experiment in social control in history.”
The South American country announced its withdrawal from the UN health agency two weeks after Trump, an ideological ally and hero of Milei, signaled Washington’s planned exit.
Milei’s decision was based on “deep differences regarding health management especially during the pandemic,” spokesperson Manuel Adorni told reporters earlier, adding Argentina would not “allow an international body to interfere in our sovereignty.”
Argentina had been hard hit by the pandemic, with about 130,000 deaths, and Milei’s predecessor Alberto Fernandez imposed a five-month lockdown in 2020 widely perceived as crippling for a struggling economy.
Adorni insisted withdrawing from the WHO gave Argentina “greater flexibility to implement policies adapted to the context” locally, while ensuring “greater availability of resources.”
The WHO did not immediately comment on Argentina’s departure.
WHO data shows Argentina contributed about $8.75 million in membership fees to the organization across 2022 and 2023 -- 0.11 percent of the total budget.
It was slated to contribute $8.25 million for 2024 to 2025.
The vast majority of the UN agency’s budget comes from voluntary contributions, however, and Argentina has made none in recent years.
Adorni said Argentina “does not receive funding from the WHO, so this measure does not represent a loss of funds for the country.”
He also accused the body of “a lack of independence.”
