Argentine president faces sanity scrutiny
Milei questioned by media about his dead dog, whom he had cloned several times
Does Javier Milei communicate with a ghost dog whose death he refuses to accept? Forced to respond to questions about his mental health, the Argentine president’s office has lashed out at “disrespectful” speculation.
Twice last week, presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni was asked about Milei’s English Mastiff, Conan, said to have died seven years ago. Milei, 53, had Conan cloned, and is believed to own four copies he refers to as “four-legged children”.
Or is it five?
The president himself referred in an interview with CNN this month to his five dogs, whose faces and names he had engraved on the presidential baton. Conan, Milton, Murray, Robert and Lucas were also among the first Milei thanked after his election victory last August.
Yet, only four mastiffs – enormous animals that can weigh up to 100kg – have ever been seen in photos with Milei.
At a press conference on Thursday, Adorni was asked if Milei had four dogs – but saw five – and if so, whether he could be said to have a firm grip on reality.
Adorni shot back it was “disrespectful to describe the president as a person who speaks to things that do not exist. It seems to me to be absolutely disrespectful … it is to mess with his family”.
The spokesman did not clarify how many dogs Milei owned.
On Monday, Adorni answered a similar question by stating: “I don’t see what the difference is whether it be four or five dogs or 43 rabbits.”
Often described as eccentric, Milei raised eyebrows on the campaign trail by occasionally dressing up as a superhero alter-ego “Captain Ancap” – short for anarcho-capitalist. He also repeatedly wielded a live chainsaw to illustrate the deep cuts he would make to state spending.
And then there are the dogs. According to journalist Juan Luis Gonzalez, author of the unauthorised Milei biography The
Madman, Conan died in 2017. Devastated by the loss, Milei sent Conan’s cells to US-based firm PerPETuate, which stated on its website five pups were the result of a cloning process, though only four appeared on a photo that accompanied the post.
Gonzalez’s book also claims Milei consults all his dogs – dead and alive – with the help of a medium specialised in “interspecies communication”.
For Gonzalez, “while it may seem like a laughing matter, this is a subject concerning the mental health of the president” and its impact on government.