Milei Deputy Withdraws from Argentine Elections Following Scandal

A member of Argentine President Javier Milei’s party has withdrawn his candidacy from legislative elections, after admitting to receiving payments from a man currently under investigation for drug trafficking.

The scandal involves José Luis Espert and comes at a time of heightened pressure on Milei’s government, which last week saw Congress overturn two of the president’s vetoes.

Populist Milei’s administration is already facing corruption allegations while attempting to manage a volatile economy, following a significant setback in local elections earlier this month.

“I cannot allow the project for the country that we have undertaken with so much effort to fall apart,” Espert said on social media when announcing his withdrawal.

He remains a sitting member of Congress and has denied any wrongdoing.

Espert, 63, was accused last week of having received $200,000 in 2020 from Federico “Fred” Machado, who is currently under house arrest in Argentina and is wanted by the US justice system for alleged ties to drug trafficking.

He stated that the money was received as payment for consulting work for a mining company in Guatemala owned by Machado, a 57-year-old Argentine businessman.

Espert also acknowledged that during his 2019 presidential campaign, he had made approximately 35 trips on Machado’s planes, but insisted he was unaware of Machado’s alleged criminal connections.

President Milei condemned what he described as a “sinister operation” by the opposition against his political ally.

The ruling party, La Libertad Avanza, currently holds a minority position in both chambers of Congress.

The government is aiming to win additional seats in the upcoming 26 October legislative elections, although analysts note it faces little prospect of achieving an outright majority.