President Javier Milei has handed one of the most powerful roles in his government to Diego Santilli, a lifelong political operator he once branded a symbol of Argentina's corrupt establishment. Milei confirmed the move on social media on June 28, sharing a photo of himself with Santilli and his sister and top advisor, Karina Milei, and describing the meeting as setting up an "orderly transition," according to Buenos Aires Herald. Santilli took the oath two days later inside the Casa Rosada, with 13 provincial governors and Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge Macri in attendance — a show of force the administration was eager to publicize.
Days later, Milei went a step further: an emergency decree dissolved the Interior Ministry entirely and folded its functions into Santilli's office, a restructuring confirmed in Argentina's Official Gazette and reported by MercoPress. The move leaves Santilli arguably the single most influential figure in government aside from the president.
