The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, ordered the withdrawal of his country's delegation from COP29, hours after speaking on the phone with Donald Trump and on the eve of their meeting in Florida scheduled for Thursday, as revealed by the Climática portal.
"It's true. We have instructions from the ministry of foreign affairs to no longer participate (in COP29)," confirmed shortly after to The Guardian the Argentine Deputy Secretary of the Environment, Ana Lamas. "That's all I can tell you."
The sudden withdrawal caused a noticeable void in the two negotiation groups in which Argentina participated: the southern group with Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, and the G77 plus China. Nevertheless, Milei had sent a second-tier delegation to Baku, composed of representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (in the absence of a Ministry of Environment).
Climate change, a "socialist lie"
The Argentine President considers climate change as a "socialist lie," following Donald Trump's stance, who has referred to it as "one of the greatest scams of the century." The two spoke on the phone this week and are planning to meet for two days on U.S. soil.
Milei's sudden action, who considers Trump his "favorite president," has raised fears that he may also decide to follow in his footsteps and withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The Argentine congress ratified the agreement in 2015, but Milei could initiate a similar mechanism to Trump's to exit it within a year, possibly triggering a cascade effect in other countries.
The Trump effect was also felt on Wednesday in the intervention of Paolelei Luteru, Samoa's representative and President of the Alliance of Small Island States (ASIS). "The United States, as one of the top historical emitters, has an ethical responsibility to lead the fight against climate change," warned Luteru.
"Our survival is at stake, and the potential withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is of great concern because other countries may be tempted to follow the same path," added the spokesperson for island nations. "We are on the front line, but climate change will affect us all if we do not act. The United States does not live on another planet."
In a day that turned chaotic, French Environment Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher canceled her attendance at COP29 in protest against the speech by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, condemning French "colonialism" and its actions in New Caledonia. "The comments made by President Aliyev against France and Europe are unacceptable and constitute a blatant violation of the code of conduct at climate summits," declared Pannier-Runacher, who nevertheless confirmed that the French delegation will continue to participate in the negotiations.