In 2023, Javier Milei, then presidential candidate for La Libertad Avanza, launched fierce criticism against Diego Santilli, pre-candidate for governor of Buenos Aires for Together for Change. Qualifiers such as “corrupt”, “monger”, “useless”, “terrible candidate” and “communist” marked his attacks, which today resurface after the surprise appointment of Santilli as head of the La Libertad Avanza list in the province, after the resignation of José Luis Espert.
On May 14, 2023, in an interview at LN+Milei questioned Santilli’s candidacy, accusing him of political opportunism. “It’s not my fault if Together for the Office has a terrible, horrible candidate, like the case of Santilli, who is a monstrosity. He was in the Capital, they moved him to the province. He is driven by business,” he had said.
In July of that same year, through a thread on X, Milei intensified her criticism. He called Santilli “corrupt,” linking him to an alleged use of public funds to finance a birthday party and a “swamp of corruption.” “There is no one who doesn’t say that he is corrupt. He is the one who paid for his birthday party with yours.” In the same thread, he called him “useless” when describing him as “the candidate of TikTok and nonsense” in a province hit by insecurity and drug trafficking.
He also accused him of being a “communist” due to the “dirigismo” in his management together with Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. “Larreta-Santilli intend to show themselves as suitable managers, which, given the level of dirigisme they recite, is a danger. Can you imagine efficient communists?” he shot.
The designation of Santilli in October 2025 as leader of the La Libertad Avanza list, with Milei now expressing “the best opinion” of him, sparked criticism for its apparent inconsistency. The turn calls into question his most repeated flag: the fight against the “caste” that he previously denounced.
