MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei sacks untrustworthy Infrastructure Minister

Ferraro allegedly leaked to the press some embarrassing details about a cabinet meeting

Argentine President Javier Milei Thursday sacked Infrastructure Minister Guillermo Ferraro after the latter allegedly leaked to the press some details about a cabinet meeting that should have not gone public, specifically an outburst by the head of state who pledged to “leave without a peso” those provincial governors who did not instruct their federal lawmakers to pass the Libertarian Government's so-called Omnibus Law bill.

Ferraro's dismissal without ever denying the rumors would seem to corroborate that the head of state did say he would seek revenge against those not acquiescing to his demands.

The Ministry of Infrastructure comprises key areas such as Transportation, Public Works, Mining, Energy, and Communications. The Government is yet to announce a replacement. However, according to some local media, Milei was entertaining the idea of downgrading the agency and shifting most of its departments to Economy so that their heads report straight to Minister Luis Toto Caputo.

The departing official had served as Industry Undersecretary between 2002 and 2003. He also held key positions within the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires' administration when Mauricio Macri was mayor.

Given the strong resistance from many governors to Milei's policies, the federal government now needs to harden its stance to have it the president's way in Congress. “I am going to leave them without a peso,” Milei was quoted as saying. He also instructed his ministers to prepare for legal action if the reform package does not go through. “If the law is not approved, the most damaged will be the provinces,” Milei reportedly told his aides.

He also ordered Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona to submit to Attorney General Eduardo Casal an official proposal for the creation of a special prosecutor's office to investigate public officials believed to be involved in corruption.

“If this law does not come to fruition, public spending will continue to be adjusted in all the alternative ways, including the funds allocated to the provinces,” Caputo reportedly said.

In this scenario, Interior Minister Guillermo Francos and Lower House Speaker Martín Menem will have to harden their position as per the suggestion of Presidential Advisor Santiago Caputo.

Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni confirmed Cuneo Libarona would be conveying to Casal the Liberal Government's idea aimed at officials “in cases of illicit enrichment and unjustified capital increase.”

“It will include all national and provincial public officials, both from the executive and legislative branches. We are going to recover all the assets resulting from crime,” Adorni stressed.

However, an agency with such a competence already exists. The Office of Administrative Investigations (Procuraduría de Investigaciones Administrativas - PIA) is provided for in Law 24.946 creating the Public Prosecutor's Office. It is, therefore, a part of the National Attorney General's Office, as a body specialized in the “investigation and prosecution of administrative offenses.”

This initiative, which would create state jobs when the idea is to curb public spending, was perceived as intimidation to those parliamentarians who could not justify their assets but whose vote would pave the way for the implementation of libertarian policies.