The American Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, stated on Thursday (22) that Argentina is currently the country most aligned with the United States. The statement was made in Buenos Aires, the last stop on a trip by Donald Trump's official to South America.
"I believe there is no other country in the entire world with which we are as aligned as with the government of Argentina," he said during a press conference at the headquarters of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he met with Pablo Quirno, chancellor of Javier Milei's government.
The number two in the portfolio led by Marco Rubio also said that Argentina has the resources to be an "economic superpower". He continued: "We are very grateful to the current government and hope that we can continue on this path of more investment, more prosperity and creating a very positive cycle."
The speech comes two days after Peter Lamelas, American ambassador in Buenos Aires, conditioned US support on the continuation of a right-wing government in the country. The employee was speaking to businesspeople in Neuquén, a city in central Argentina.
"We are ready to continue promoting and financing, from the USA and beyond 2027, if Argentina continues to advance, and never retreat", he stated, before explaining what it would mean to go backwards for Washington: "We are supporting this government, Milei's government, and the Argentine people, as long as they follow in the right direction: the direction to the right, and not to the left".
The logic is part of Trump's broader strategy in Latin America, a region that in recent months has experienced a wave of victories by the right and ultra-right — some of them supported by the Republican, although the effectiveness of the support is uncertain. Argentina itself was one of them.
A year ago, in October 2025, Milei had help from Trump to achieve a surprising victory in the legislative elections. That month, his party, A Liberdade Avança, faced an election amid the fall of the Argentine peso and a new scandal involving an ally of the ultraliberal, but managed to win 64 of the 127 seats at stake in the Chamber of Deputies and 13 of the 24 contested in the Senate.
Two weeks before the vote, Milei went to the White House looking for support, and Argentines heard Trump threatening the partnership between the two countries. "If Milei doesn't win, we won't be generous with Argentina," the American told reporters in front of his counterpart. On the eve of the election, the American government offered a US$20 billion financial rescue package to avoid a currency crisis.
This Thursday, the Argentine foreign minister was consulted about the ambassador's statements. "The only condition that exists is that we continue doing what we are doing, that we follow the path of growth, macroeconomic order and fiscal balance", stated Quirno.
Landau, in turn, stated that the US is "satisfied with the current Argentine government, which rolls out the red carpet for foreign investment." Despite this, he made a reservation when asked about a law presented by Milei to toughen penalties against oil exploration in the Falkland Islands — something that could have an impact on American companies operating in the disputed territory between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
"We are, obviously, looking out for the interests of our companies. It is natural for any country to be concerned about this, but I want to highlight that we respect the legislative process of the great Argentine nation," said the American.
Buenos Aires is the last stop on a trip for the State Department official that also included Paraguay. In Asunción, where it was from Monday (19) to Wednesday (21), the State Department announced the opening of an anti-drug office that "will function as a regional center for the coordination of programs (...) in the Southern Cone".
This Friday (23), Landau met at Casa Rosada with Milei, who arrived from a trip to Spain the day before. "Argentina is committed to stability and reforms, and the United States supports it with investments in energy, critical minerals and infrastructure through the Andes-Atlantic Corridor," said the American embassy.
In the official photo, the ultraliberal shows, next to the American, a plate that reads "Happy Birthday America" and the number 250, in a reference to the US Independence celebrations. Quino, Lamelas, the US Undersecretary for Hemispheric Affairs, Juan Pablo Segura, and the Argentine ambassador in Washington, Alec Oxenford, also participated in the meeting.
