Corruption allegations dent Milei's popularity in Argentina, polls show

BUENOS AIRES, March 26 (Reuters) - ‌Argentine President Javier ​Milei’s ​administration has experienced a decline of nearly 5 percentage points in public approval in March, according to multiple polls, following ‌recent corruption allegations directed at the government.

Milei, a libertarian who ⁠is expected to seek re-election next year, is under scrutiny after briefly promoting the ‌cryptocurrency $LIBRA, which surged and then ‌collapsed within hours of its 2025 launch, prompting fraud complaints from investors who reported millions of dollars in losses.

Criticism of the government intensified ​in recent weeks, after local media outlets published communications between a financier implicated in the case and Milei, among others.

Milei's administration is ⁠particularly sensitive to corruption accusations, as he built his political rise on pledges to confront what ​he calls the "caste" of traditional politicians, whom he has repeatedly referred to as thieves.

A government confidence index compiled by Torcuato ​Di Tella University showed this week a ‌3.5% drop in March to 2.3 points, on a scale measuring the government's performance from 0 to 5.

According ⁠to a survey by consulting firm Trespuntozero, approval of Milei's administration fell to 37.2% from 41.5% in early March, while negative perceptions rose to 59.8%, up from ⁠53.1%. Respondents cited low wages, corruption and unemployment as their main concerns.

Consulting firm Synopsis ​also found in a survey that approval of Milei's government fell to 35.1% in March from 38.5% in February.

The government has also faced backlash over a scandal ‌involving Milei's chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, who is under scrutiny over spending that does not appear to ‌match his income and his wife's travel aboard the presidential plane.

"I built my ⁠wealth before entering the government. ‌I have nothing to ​hide," Adorni told reporters on Wednesday. "I can do whatever I want with my money."

(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin; Editing by ‌Andrea Ricci )

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