More than 30 officials have left government to date
More than 30 officials – including ministers, secretaries, undersecretaries and directors – have ceased to form part of the Javier Milei government since December 10.
The officials are the product of resignations and dismissals provoked by various controversies that were triggered in the first 100 days of the La Libertad Avanza administration.
Last month, the resignations of Fisheries Control director Julián Suárez, Foreign Ministry coordinatorgeneral Pablo Ferrara, Public Employment undersecretary Ricardo Bocacci, Casa Patria Grande Néstor Kirchner director Marcelo Basilotta and Televisión Pública director Juan Parodi have been made known.
Suárez and Ferrara presented their resignations amid controversy over illegal fisheries off Ushuaia, while Bocacci resigned in the midst of a series of dismissals in different state entities and on the eve of the termination of thousands of contracts in various governmental areas with Basilotta – the right-hand man of Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello – quitting for “personal reasons.”
Meanwhile Parodi, who only assumed his role last month, resigned over the “restructuring” of Televisión Pública programming, which wrapped up various television features such as Cocineros Argentinos and the weekend news edition, to be replaced by old programmes, documentaries and sports transmissions.
The first resignations from the national government were Eduardo Roust and Juan Caruso, who quit their posts as Media undersecretary and Communications director respectively in the first week of the administration. Both resigned their posts adducing the “impossibility” of working in the area of government communication.
Before the year was out, Communications secretary Belén Stettler – who formed part of the team of government advisor Santiago Caputo, one of Milei’s closest aides – resigned after less than 20 days for unknown reasons.
The headline exit from the government was ex-infrastructure minister Guillermo Ferraro in late January. He was accused by certain government sectors of “leaking information” to the press when it became known that Milei was aiming his darts at provincial governors.
The parliamentary defeat represented by the return to committee of the so-called “Omnibus” or “Ley de Bases” law spelled the fall of two officials linked to the governors of the provinces of Salta and Córdoba respectively, Flavia Royón (Mining secretary) and Osvaldo Giordano (ANSES social security agency).
“The inherited economic crisis and the current historical moment require public officials committed to the modernisation and simplification of the state. Those assuming the responsibility of public office must understand the harsh reality facing Argentines, defending them from the constant attacks of those who seek to sustain their privileges at the cost of the hunger of the people,” explained a communiqué carried from Milei’s office.
Yet in Giordano’s eyes, the explanation lay elsewhere: “The reaction to the vote [against] some clauses of the omnibus bill by my spouse [Hacemos Coalición Federal deputy Alejandra Torres] was the motive. I think it was a badly channelled reaction of annoyance, in my judgement.”
Another high-profile departure came just last month. Decree 206/24 – hiking Cabinet salaries by 48 percent before being repealed – triggered the removal of Labour secretary Omar Yasín.
Labour undersecretary Mariana Hortal Sueldo became the latest government official to leave her post on Wednesday, quitting as state lay-offs deepened. Seen as close to Yasín, she only took office on February 15.
Some officials have abandoned their posts while continuing to serve in the government – Rodrigo Aybar resigned as the undersecretary for the Innovation of Economic Solidarity within the Human Capital Ministry, only to become Housing undersecretary.