Santiago Muzio, the director of the Maison de l'Argentine in Paris, stepped down on Sunday, September 13, as confirmed by Argentina’s government in Buenos Aires. His resignation came amid growing controversy surrounding his leadership of the residence, which is part of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, a global hub for international student exchange. The Argentine government reportedly pressured Muzio to leave in order to prevent the scandal from affecting President Javier Milei’s planned visit to France around September 30. The visit is part of Argentina Week, an initiative aimed at boosting economic ties between Argentina and France. Muzio, a Franco-Argentine lawyer appointed by President Milei in 2024, had been at the center of several disputes. He was accused of removing residents from the Maison de l'Argentine based on their political views and of removing a plaque that honored victims of Argentina’s military dictatorship in February. Left-wing media, such as the Argentine newspaper Página 12, criticized Muzio for transforming the residence into a "bastion of the far right." Muzio, a devout Catholic, had previously led the Madrid branch of the Institute of Social, Economic and Political Sciences, a private institution founded by French far-right politician Marion Maréchal. Muzio also refused to sign the values charter of the Cité internationale universitaire, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation. According to the Argentine newspaper Clarín, Muzio referred to progressive concepts such as wokeness, ecology, gender theory, and the right to abortion as a "mental virus," a term often used by President Milei. Residents of the Maison de l'Argentine described Muzio’s leadership as a "mini-dictatorship," and more than 1,000 people, including academics, writers, and artists, had signed petitions calling for his removal. In late July, the City of Paris requested an investigation into Muzio from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The controversy surrounding Muzio intensified as Milei’s visit to France approached, according to the Argentine newspaper Perfil. However, Milei’s visit itself has also sparked debate, with some in France calling for him to be declared persona non grata, or unwelcome, in Paris. The situation highlights the tensions between Argentina’s new government and international institutions, as well as the challenges of balancing political influence with diplomatic relations.