As Javier Milei prepares to take office as the President of the Nation, he has confirmed the final members of his cabinet. The most notable appointment is Mario Russo, who will lead the Ministry of Health, reversing the previous decision to downgrade the portfolio to a secretariat. This means that the new structure will consist of nine ministries. Other key appointments include Enrique Rodríguez Chiantore as superintendent of health services and Florencia Misrahi as the head of the Federal Public Revenue Administration (AFIP). As the government transition continues, allies of the libertarian leader continue to join, including former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his son, deputy from São Paulo, Eduardo Bolsonaro.
Javier Milei, the president-elect, has nearly completed his cabinet appointments, implementing a significant reduction that will halve the current 18 ministries. This is part of his broader plan for the’ modernization of the State,’ which will be included in a package of measures to be approved by Congress.
During the afternoon of this Friday, news broke about a private meeting between Milei and the current Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa. It was reported that the meeting took place five days ago, and, in addition to Milei and Massa, Karina Milei, Guillermo Michel, and Juan Manuel Olmos also participated. The purpose of the meeting is said to have been to assess the State of public accounts and figures related to external debt. It was rumored that the meeting occurred under a certain degree of tension. The president-elect allegedly sought “help” regarding relations with the governments of China, Qatar, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).
The Latest Appointments
As with all official communications of the future government, the appointments were reported via X: “The Office of the President-Elect of the Argentine Republic announces that Dr. Mario Russo will be the Minister of Health, and Dr. Enrique Rodríguez Chiantore will hold the position of Superintendent of Health Services (SSS) of the Nation starting December 10th.” It was also announced that “Dr. Florencia Misrahi will be the head” of the AFIP.
An hour earlier, however, it had been reported through the same account that Russo would be the Secretary of Health, respecting the original scheme of eight ministries that Milei had been announcing since the beginning of the electoral campaign. But the correction came shortly after, confirming that Russo would not be part of the super-ministry of Human Capital led by Sandra Pettovello.
After the departure of Eduardo Filgueira Lima due to disagreements with his potential superior in the organizational structure, Russo gained ground to take over the portfolio. The cardiologist previously served as the Secretary of Health in San Miguel during Joaquín de la Torre’s mayoralty and in Morón during Ramiro Tagliaferro’s administration. During María Eugenia Vidal’s governorship, he was the Undersecretary of Coordination of Health Policies and Planning and Health Control of the provincial Ministry of Health.
On the other hand, Rodríguez Chiantore was an advisor to the Ministry of Health under Carlos Menem, chief of staff of the Ministry of Health of the Nation during the presidency of Mauricio Macri — whom he had already accompanied in his time in the City of Buenos Aires — and more recently worked in Patricia Bullrich’s teams. In the new administration, he will be responsible for approving increases in private health plans and managing the funds of social security organizations. Additionally, appointments for Ivan Kerr in Housing and Yanina Martínez — the current Secretary of Tourism Promotion — in Tourism are imminent.
