Southern Cone in June 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Southern Cone in June 2026, Argentine politics was dominated by corruption allegations around Manuel Adorni, an aide to President Javier Milei. On 11 June an Argentine official admitted hiding 500,000 dollars in income declarations, and on 12 June Adorni and Caputo were in a dispute that left the cabinet in crisis. Mauricio Macri pressed Milei to dismiss Adorni but said his Pro party would not provide votes for the move. On 20 June Milei defended Adorni at a Flag Day event, and on 26 June he said he would fire him if he were found guilty. On 27 June Milei returned to Argentina as Adorni prepared to leave, and on 28 June a Milei aide resigned amid the scandal.
Other domestic matters also weighed on the government. On 3 June, Patricia Bullrich offered her resignation to Milei, who did not respond. Polls showed Milei tied with Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof in Buenos Aires province and tied with Bullrich in a possible runoff. A police report weakened Milei's explanation for distancing himself from the $LIBRA cryptocurrency case, and a judge ordered a voice analysis of a former official in the case involving an audio recording of Milei. The Senate approved a judge whom Milei had rejected, and Argentina's Justice Minister said Milei is not required to sign the appointment.
In foreign affairs, Argentina formally requested to join the CPTPP trade bloc on 3 June and, on 4 June, threatened a British oil prospector in the Falklands, escalating tensions over the disputed islands. A New York court rejected Burford Capital's request to review a ruling in the YPF case. Milei met Vox leader Santiago Abascal in Madrid and made statements on Venezuela's upcoming election. Uruguay announced a visa waiver for Chinese citizens on 4 June, which China welcomed on 5 June.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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