Diana Mondino

Diana Elena Mondino (born 8 August 1958) is an Argentine libertarian economist, academic, and politician, currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic since 2023 under President Javier Milei. Mondino was previously the Director of Institutional Affairs at the University of CEMA.

In the, she was elected as a national deputy for city for the La Libertad Avanza coalition. She became Foreign Minister on Milei's inauguration on December 10, 2023.

Education in Argentina
Mondino was born in 1958 in the City of Cordoba, in a family of Piedmontese origins, and attended kindergarten through secondary school at the Juan Zorrilla de San Martín Public School. She studied economics at the National University of Córdoba where she received the gold medal for her academic performance and best grade point average. She also began a Doctorate in Economics at the same university but did not complete the degree due to bureaucratic issues, despite defending her thesis.

Life abroad
In 1982, Mondino moved to Spain, completing a master's degree in economics and marketing from IESE Business School at the University of Navarra. Graduating in 1986, Mondino furthered her education in the United States, completing a master's degree from Columbia Business School in 2001, a degree in executive education from the Yale School of Management in 2018, and a postgraduate degree in ethics from Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

She founded Rysk Analysis in 1991, and subsequently worked in various private companies, including Loma Negra, S&P Global Ratings, and Banco Supervielle.

Academic career
Mondino works at UCEMA as a Finance professor in the Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Marketing, among several courses, including for international students. She is also Director of Institutional Affairs at the same university.

Political career
In 2023, Mondino officially entered politics as a candidate for deputy for La Libertad Avanza in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. After the list she was a member of obtained 17.81% in the PASO and 20.44% in the general elections, she was elected for the period 2023–2027.

Minister of Foreign Affairs
When Javier Milei was elected president, Mondino resigned from her seat in the chamber to be able to take over as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Controversies
On Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in an interview with journalist Luis Novaresio for his program on La Nación +, Mondino generated controversy with her statements in defense of the idea of an "organ market" and by comparing equal marriage with having lice, maintaining that "As a liberal I agree with each person's life project. It is much broader than marriage equality. Let me exaggerate: if you prefer not to bathe and be full of lice and it is your choice, that's it, then don't complain if there is someone who doesn't like you having lice."

After a visit to the Espacio Lejano Station, she claimed scientists and soldiers can't be told apart because "Chinese all look the same".

Personal life
Mondino has assets according to her sworn statement of 5,027 million pesos, which makes her the richest official among the ministers appointed by Javier Milei to be part of his cabinet.