The government of Javier Milei stated that the quarantine model endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) could be considered a crime against humanity. According to the statement from the President's Office, the WHO measures are ineffective and based on political influence rather than science.
The government argued that the quarantines promoted by the WHO during the covid pandemic led to an unprecedented economic crisis. It was mentioned that these measures left children without access to education, wreaked havoc on employment, led many businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises to bankruptcy, and incurred a high cost in human lives.
The statement also criticized the WHO's lack of flexibility to change its approach and admit mistakes, as well as its interference in the sovereignty of member countries. It was emphasized that supranational bodies, instead of fulfilling their original purpose, are engaged in international politics and imposing themselves on nations.
The Argentine government announced its decision to withdraw from the WHO due to substantial differences in health management of the pandemic. The presidential spokesperson explained that Argentina does not receive funding from the WHO and considered that leaving the organization would allow the country to implement policies more aligned with its needs and interests.
This announcement coincided with the recent executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw his country from the WHO. Trump had previously expressed criticisms of the WHO's pandemic management; however, his decision to withdraw was not finalized due to the change of government in the United States.
