The case of Manuel Adorni crossed the Argentine borders and reached the pages of the Financial Times. The influential British newspaper published an extensive article about the scandal involving the chief of staff and presidential spokesperson, who acknowledged having omitted to declare more than $500,000 in savings before the Argentine treasury. The publication maintained that the official’s explanation “would hardly put an end to questions about his recent expenses” and warned that the federal investigation into alleged illicit enrichment remains open.
The FT recalled that the case began in March, following the public exposure of the official’s property purchases and luxury trips, and that the scandal “monopolized the headlines in Argentina for four months.” Adorni had justified the undeclared funds before the cameras LN+: He said that he and his wife had accumulated them over years of private activity, including investments in cryptocurrencies, and that he made a “mistake” by not regularizing the situation when he entered the Government in 2023. The newspaper highlighted that, despite the criticism and ongoing investigations, Javier Milei He publicly maintained his support for the official.
For the analyst Ignacio Labaquifrom Medley Global Advisors, Adorni’s public exhibition was a deliberate attempt to close the controversy before the start of the 2026 World Cup. “The coincidence of dates is not coincidental,” he stated, although he considered that “the damage has already been done”: The ruling party spent several months without regaining control of the political agenda. The FT also recalled that Patricia Bullrich described the situation as “more than a mistake” and noted that it was a “ethical omission”leaving the determination of responsibilities in the hands of Justice.
The article linked the case to other controversies that shook the libertarian government, including the promotion of cryptocurrency $POUND and complaints about alleged irregularities in the National Disability Agency. The media stressed that, although tax evasion is widespread in Argentina—where decades of economic instability led people to hide nearly $270 billion in undeclared savings—the Adorni case has a political dimension that distinguishes it: it is the main spokesperson for a government that came to power demanding transparency and the fight against the establishment.
However, the Financial Times also downplayed the electoral weight of the scandal. quoting Eugenia Mitchelsteinprofessor of Political Science at the University of San Andrés, the newspaper maintained that the impact of the complaints will depend on whether the population perceives concrete improvements in their economic situation: “If more people begin to notice the benefits of Milei’s macroeconomic stabilization, then the corruption problems become really insignificant.” The FT highlighted that inflation showed a sharp slowdown, with the monthly index for May at its lowest level in eight months, and that the IMF projects growth in 3.5% by 2026. But he warned that real wages remain stagnant and that several sectors remain depressed.
Image gallery
