Argentina's president Javier Milei faces an alleged corruption scandal involving his sister Karina less than two months before legislative elections. Audio recordings surfaced in which Diego Spagnuolo, head of the National Disability Agency and former Milei lawyer, described alleged bribe payments tied to the procurement of medicines for people with disabilities. Spagnuolo claimed the scheme was channelled through Suizo Argentina, which demanded 8% kickbacks and generated $500,000–$800,000 per month, with 3% allegedly going to Karina Milei. Spagnuolo initially denied being the voice in the tapes, later admitted it, and was dismissed. Milei publicly appeared with his sister at a rally and sought applause for her.
Argentina's president Javier Milei is facing his administration's worst alleged corruption scandal involving none other than his hugely influential sister, Karina less than two months before key legislative elections. For more than a week, news in the country has been dominated by audio recordings in which a former government official is heard discussing the alleged payment of bribes linked to the purchase of medicines for people with disabilities.
In the recordings, Diego Spagnuolo, the head of the National Disability Agency and a former Milei lawyer, claimed that the sister of the self-styled anarcho-capitalist allegedly pocketed 3% from each contract. Spagnuolo initially denied it was him in the tapes, but later admitted it and was dismissed by the government after the furore. After days of silence, Milei appeared alongside his sister an influential figure in his administration at a campaign rally, asking the crowd to give her a big ovation.
After a summer in which the wild-haired president was celebrated even by the British right, political analysts in Argentina see the case as the most damaging blow yet to Milei. It's the biggest scandal his administration has faced, said Juan Courel, an expert in political communication from Alaska Comunicacion. The scandal first emerged on 19 August, when the streaming channel Carnaval released the first audio recordings, the source of which is still unknown.
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