Argentina's former foreign minister Malcorra backs rival to Grossi for top UN job

Former foreign minister Susana Malcorra has backed Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan in the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general, rather than supporting fellow Argentine Rafael Grossi.

Malcorra, who served under former president Mauricio Macri, announced her position on Wednesday, saying she had joined a group of former Latin American and Caribbean foreign ministers in signing an open letter endorsing Grynspan.

The news was met with criticism from her fellow Argentines on social media.

"Rebeca has the experience, capabilities and vision needed to lead the organisation in these difficult times," Malcorra wrote on X, adding that regional unity was essential to ensure Latin America took the helm of the UN "for the first time with a woman.”

The letter argued that it was time for Latin America and the Caribbean to assume the secretary-generalship and for a woman to occupy the position for the first time in the organisation's history.

It also highlighted Grynspan's performance in successive informal Security Council polls, in which she has repeatedly received the highest level of support among the candidates.

Grynspan, a former vice-president of Costa Rica, has also held senior international positions, including secretary-general of the Ibero-American Secretariat and head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Criticism

Malcorra's endorsement, however, drew criticism from Argentines who questioned why she had chosen to back a regional rival rather than Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Why doesn't she support her compatriot?" one user asked, while another suggested that backing Grossi would better serve Argentina's national interests.

Others accused Malcorra of acting against Argentina's interests, with one asking whose interests she was actually representing.

Grossi remains a leading contender in the selection process, although his candidacy faces opposition from permanent members of the Security Council, where geopolitical divisions have complicated the search for a successor to António Guterres.