‘He’s battling 400000% inflation’: South Africans unfazed as Argentina’s Milei snubs G20 Summit
Argentina President Javier Milei will reportedly not travel to South Africa for the G20 Summit, joining Donald Trump in boycotting the event.
Argentine President Javier Milei will not be attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled for 22–23 November 2025 in Johannesburg, following the lead of close ally, US President Donald Trump, to boycott the global forum.
The move, according to Argentinian media, is seen as a gesture of alignment with Washington and signals a significant diplomatic slight against South Africa, the first African country set to host a G20 Heads of State summit.
Instead of Milei, Argentina plans to send Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and the government’s G20 “sherpa” Federico Pinedo to the gathering of the world’s 20 largest developed and emerging economies.
Trump leads boycott of G20 in South Africa, Milei follows
Milei’s absence follows the withdrawal of US government officials after Trump declared his country would not send a delegation, citing – without evidence – serious “human rights abuses” in South Africa.
On 7 November 2025, Donald Trump posted on his social media platform that it is “a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa”.
He alleged, without providing proof, that “Afrikaners … are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated”,adding that “No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue”.
In response, the South African government described Trump’s remarks as “regrettable”, with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) saying the allegations of a so-called “white genocide” are “widely discredited and lack credible proof”.
For Milei, a self-described radical libertarian whom Trump has called his “favourite president”, the decision to skip the summit comes shortly after Argentina received a $20 billion (R1.1 trillion) financial lifeline from the US Treasury.
This move, political analysts argue, increasingly mediates Argentina’s place in the world through Washington.
Highly experienced diplomatic officials within Argentina reportedly agreed that the best course of action would have been “the participation at the highest level” in Johannesburg at the G20, particularly as Buenos Aires “needs to maintain its historical ties with the Western partners and increase those with new partners in Africa and Asia”.
The absence of the Argentine leader “will be seen as a slight to the whole of Africa”, Argentinian media reported the sources as saying.
Social media reactions
The reactions across X (formerly Twitter) been strong, with many questioning the rationale behind the boycott.
One user commented bluntly: “He’s battling 400000% inflation”, closing by saying Milei has bigger fish to fry than attending the G20 Summit. The user was likely alluding to Argentina’s previously record-high inflation: an astonishing 211.4% in 2023.
Another X commenter questioned the wisdom of the decision, given Argentina’s precarious financial situation.
“Can’t say it’s a good strategy for Argentina to be snubbing the G20, given its fragile economic situation.”
Conversely, another user called Milei a “wise man”.
“Good leader. Steer his country towards prosperity,” the comment ended.