started · updated
Milei’s Rosario Flag Day Shows Rift with Vice President Villarruel Amid Adorni Scandal
On 20 June, President Javier Milei headlined the national Día de la Bandera ceremony at the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera in Rosario. The event gathered more than 350 000 attendees, along with Governor Maximiliano Pullaro, Mayor Pablo Javkin and Vice President Victoria Villarruel, who was invited by the Santa Fe government rather than the Casa Rosada.
During the protocol Milei turned his back on Villarruel, did not greet her and instead embraced Cabinet chief Manuel Adorni and other officials. Villarruel, positioned in a separate provincial block, sang the anthem facing away from the president and later denounced the lack of an official invitation, calling Adorni “the person most at odds with Belgrano’s values.”
The day also featured Milei’s speech invoking Manuel Belgrano as “the first liberal economic intellectual” and describing the flag as a symbol of liberty. In the aftermath, Milei announced that economist Adrián Ravier would replace Adorni as the presidential spokesperson, separating the communication role from the cabinet while Adorni remains chief of staff under investigation for alleged illicit enrichment.
Villarruel held meetings with political and business leaders in Rosario, sparking speculation about a possible 2027 presidential bid, while the ceremony highlighted the growing internal tensions within the Milei administration.