On February 5, President Javier Milei – a self-described anarcho-capitalist nicknamed “El Loco” (the Madman) – took to social media to announce the withdrawal, citing the WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as the prime reason.

“The WHO was created in 1948 to coordinate the response to global health emergencies, but it failed in its greatest test: it promoted eternal quarantines without scientific support when it had to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” President Milei said in a statement.

“Lockdowns caused one of the biggest economic catastrophes in world history and, according to the Rome Statute of 1998, the quarantine model could be classified as a crime against humanity,” he added.

Despite these criticisms, the WHO lacks the authority to impose lockdowns or enforce policies. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, it serves as a coordinating body that provides guidelines, sets health standards, and offers technical assistance. While it does issue recommendations, such as during health emergencies, it relies on member states to voluntarily adopt and implement them as it has no enforcement powers.

Much like Trump, Milei wants to lead an anti-spending, anti-red-tape revolution. His time at the helm has seen Argentina undergo a shock therapy of extreme austerity, deregulation, and slashing government spending. The harsh policies have led to significant job losses and funding cuts for the scientific community, forcing many researchers to flee the country.

Speaking to Science late last year, Jorge Geffner, a microbiologist at the University of Buenos Aires, described the government’s policies as “scienticide.” 

Before Milei’s tenure as President, the government of Argentina was initially praised for its prompt response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it later became apparent that authorities hadn’t developed a long-term strategy beyond strict lockdowns. 

As a result, the economy suffered and public discontent grew. Human rights groups have since accused the government of using heavy-handed, militarized tactics to enforce lockdown measures in low-income neighborhoods. 

Argentina was hit hard by the virus. Between January 2020 and October 2023, Argentina recorded 10,044,957 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 130,472 related deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. For a country of roughly 45 million people, the scale of these numbers is considerable.

Perceived failures of the WHO’s handling of COVID-19 were also cited when President Donald Trump announced his plan to withdraw the US from the WHO in January 2025. The president’s executive order also complained that the US is being forced to pay “unfairly onerous” payments to the international agency.

“The WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO,” reads the Executive Order.

In response to the US withdrawal, the WHO said in a statement: “For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats. Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication.”

“We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe,” it added.