BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentine President Javier Milei has tapped his Finance Secretary Pablo Quirno to replace Gerardo Werthein as the country’s foreign minister, the president’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
Werthein, who had been in the position for about a year, presented his resignation on Monday.
Officials have not clarified why Werthein stepped down, but his was the second departure from that role during the nearly two-year government of Milei.
Werthein had taken over after Foreign Minister Diana Modino was fired for voting in favor of lifting the U.S. embargo against Cuba at the United Nations.
Milei said earlier this week there would be a cabinet shakeup after Sunday’s midterm elections, which will be critical for investors watching to see if Milei has enough power to continue his economic overhaul.
Milei’s popularity has dropped amid anger over the impact of his austerity measures and recent government corruption scandals.
In its statement, the president’s office said it hoped that Quirno’s appointment would deepen the relationship between the foreign ministry and the economy ministry, furthering the government’s “pro-market vision.”
It said that Quirno would continue to support Milei’s “cultural battle” in the defense of Western values and would continue to build international alliances.
(Reporting by Eliana Raszewski; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
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