Argentina's President Accuses US Democrats of Funding Anti-Argentina Campaign at World Cup

More than a week after Spain won the World Cup, Argentine President Javier Milei continues to speak out about an 'anti-Argentina campaign' he claims was organized with financial backing from the US Democratic Party and the governments of Brazil and Mexico.

In an interview with a local radio station on June 26, Milei asserted that criticism targeting the Argentine national team, including allegations of racism among fans and conspiracy theories that FIFA favored Lionel Messi, were 'products of radical minds that do not want liberal ideas to succeed.'

He added that the Brazilian government under leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva provided the bulk of funding for this campaign.

Analysts in Argentina suggest Milei is using this narrative to distract from his sharply declining approval ratings. Some critics say the 'real anti-Argentina campaign' is the 'chainsaw' austerity policy the president is pursuing.

Nevertheless, the story has captured public attention, even among those who do not support Milei. Pablo Torres, a 52-year-old bookseller in Buenos Aires, expressed 'anger and disgust' at the wave of online criticism targeting Argentina, arguing the racism allegations come from 'colonial powers that enslaved and massacred populations.'

During the tournament, several incidents involving racist behavior by Argentine fans drew attention. Before the final, American actor Samuel L. Jackson posted on Instagram, urging people of color not to support Argentina, calling it one of the most racist countries in the world. Amnesty International Argentina later acknowledged the country's racism problem but criticized the 'stigmatization of the nation.'

Over the weekend, during a visit to Brazil for the campaign launch of far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, Milei attacked President Lula as a 'thief' and 'convict,' reiterating that 'Brazil is the source of most attacks' in the anti-Argentina campaign. He extended his accusations to Mexico and the US Democratic Party.

Digital anthropologist Mercedes Máspero, after analyzing over 2 million social media posts, found 'clear signs of coordination,' such as the repetition of variations of the phrase 'disgusting creature' in multiple languages. However, she said it is difficult to describe this as an organized campaign because the narrative spread so widely.

Natalia Aruguete, a research fellow at Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council, said she found no 'evidence of a large-scale coordinated campaign,' despite a 'hostile, widespread, and transnational conversation' focused on Argentina. She noted significant Brazilian presence in discussions about racism, but Milei's allegations lack public evidence.

Some critics point out that the last time the idea of such a campaign was state-promoted was under the brutal 1976-1983 dictatorship, whose crimes Milei often downplays. During the 1978 World Cup hosted by Argentina, the military junta claimed that criticisms of human rights violations were part of an 'anti-Argentina campaign.'

Aruguete said Milei has turned a 'diverse online conversation' into a political conflict fitting his 'culture war' narrative against the left, at a time when his administration faces 'internal weakening,' including rising unemployment and corruption scandals.