Argentine President Javier Milei announced Sunday that he is replacing his chief of cabinet, tapping Interior Minister Diego Santilli for the top government post. The announcement came via a post on Milei’s X account.
Santilli steps into the role vacated by Manuel Adorni, who submitted his resignation Saturday following corruption allegations against him. The transition is scheduled to take effect Tuesday.
The leadership change comes at a difficult moment for Milei, whose approval ratings have been slipping amid the corruption controversy and growing tensions within his administration.
Santilli brings a lengthy political resume to the position. An accountant by training, he comes from the center-right PRO party, which was founded by former president Mauricio Macri. He has previously held positions including deputy chief of the City of Buenos Aires, congressman, senator, and security minister of the City of Buenos Aires.
In his own post on X, Santilli expressed his commitment to the administration’s agenda. “I am going to give everything so that this government continues to advance in the structural reforms that Argentina has needed for decades,” he wrote.
Adorni, the outgoing cabinet chief, is currently under investigation for alleged illicit enrichment, among other charges. He also drew public criticism over several personal trips taken with family members — including a first-class holiday to the Caribbean island of Aruba during the Christmas season and a private jet trip to Uruguay during Carnival.
Adorni has pushed back against the criticism, maintaining that his wealth was accumulated before he joined the government and that all personal travel expenses were covered with his own private funds.
