MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Air Force Chief sacked for improper conduct

Mengo allegedly used Air Force resources for personal purposes and is also suspected of sexual harassment

Argentina's Defense Minister Luis Petri Thursday sacked Air Force Chief of Staff Brigadier Fernando Luis Mengo for allegedly using State resources for personal purposes. Mengo allegedly used Air Force aircraft to transport his partner between Paraná and Buenos Aires. In addition, he is facing complaints of sexual harassment.

The measure against Mengo is due to the use of aircraft of the institution for personal purposes and to “alleged facts of harassment and/or abuse,” the Defense Ministry posted on X while reaffirming its “commitment to transparency, austerity, protection of victims' rights and unrestricted respect for the law as fundamental pillars of its management.”

In his decision, Petri expressed his commitment to transparency and ethics in the Armed Forces. He also highlighted the seriousness of the allegations and assured that the case would be duly investigated. “This decision responds to facts that reveal the improper use of aircraft of the institution for private purposes, which implies a serious violation of the regulations governing the management of public assets and the responsibilities inherent to his position,” the minister wrote.

The sexual harassment accusations will also entail legal and administrative measures against Mengo, who had been widely disliked within the Air Force for his alleged mistreatment of subordinates. “I have also learned of alleged acts of harassment and/or abuse allegedly carried out by Brigadier Mengo, which constitutes a very serious and inadmissible offense,” Petri also noted.

“In this government, and under the administration of President Javier Milei, there is and will be no tolerance for the abuse of power, corruption, or conduct that tarnishes the integrity of individuals or the trust of citizens in our institutions,” he went on.

He also explained that this decision was “in compliance with the duty to guarantee transparency, ethics and respect for the law in the Armed Forces.”

Mengo, 59, joined the Air Force in 1983. He became Chief of Staff in January in lieu of Brigadier General Xavier Julián Isaac, who now heads the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces.