MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Agustín Rossi picked to succeed Manzur as Argentina's Cabinet Chief

Rossi has not commented on his future appointment until it becomes official

Former Defense Minister and current Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI) Director Agustín Rossi has been chosen to become Argentina's new Cabinet Chief next week due to Juan Manzur's resignation to handle the ruling party's campaign in the province of Tucumán, Casa Rosada sources said Friday.

Read also: Argentina: Manzur resigning as Cabinet Chief next week

Rossi is to be sworn in on Feb. 15, according to Buenos Aires media. The former Defense Minister has declined to make any comments until the announcement of his appointment becomes official, it was also reported.

The chosen official is a civil engineer born in Vera, in the province of Santa Fe, in 1959. He is married to lawyer María Raquel Pezzelato, with whom he has two children. He has been involved with Peronism since the 1980s. He has always been linked to Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner but in recent years he has approached President Alberto Fernández.

After a spell as a congressman, Rossi became CFK's Defense Minister in 2013. In the meantime, he failed twice to become Governor of Santa Fe in 2007 and 2011. He was also Defense Minister under Alberto Fernández before joining the AFI.

With Rossi's appointment, the Argentine administration will need to decide who will run the AFI. According to press reports in Buenos Aires, the main candidate is José “Pepe” Albistur, a close friend of the President's and also the husband of Social Development Minister Victoria Tolosa Paz.