Manuel Adorni's tenure as Cabinet chief came to an end on Saturday night, just before 7pm. Government sources had signalled as such throughout the day and the official used his personal X account to bid farewell to public life in an open letter.
In the letter, Adorni blamed the media and thanked the President for his support. His replacement will be Interior Minister Diego Santilli, whose appointment is expected to be announced within hours.
Inside the presidential circle, Adorni's resignation was greeted with relief.Throughout Saturday, official sources indicated that, without the backing of Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei and President Javier Milei, Adorni would step aside via a social media post.
At 6.39pm, the now-former official wrote: "For the first time since December 10, 2023, I am going against your wishes. Thank you for this time accepting my resignation as Cabinet chief."
Adorni then detailed everything he had endured over the past 100-plus days: "You know everything I have suffered throughout this time. The endless media attacks I have had to withstand have led me to ask you to accompany me this time, so that I can close this chapter in order to protect myself and my family," he claimed.
Despite what appears in the court case investigating alleged illicit enrichment, the former presidential spokesman insists the media had "run an operation" against him using various "lies." He enumerated them: "Trips that never existed, astronomical and lavish expenses, non-existent and fake contracts my wife supposedly had with the state or public companies, mansions and luxury cars, crypto 'farms' allegedly run in collusion with the Presidential Security detail, nepotism, personal expenses paid with public funds, the existence of a supposed USB drive stuffed with dollars (yes, President, a USB drive 'stuffed with dollars'), companies in Uruguay, cosmetic surgeries costing thousands of dollars, and dozens of other falsehoods. They have even suggested I paid millions to silence people."
No sooner had the post appeared on Instagram and X than the reaction within the ruling coalition was immediate – above all within the Cabinet. Officials conveyed that there was "relief" at the decision and that the departure would allow La Libertad Avanza to reinvigorate its agenda, which had been overshadowed for 107 days by Adorni's judicial and political predicament.
Karina Milei was the first to make her response public. The President's sister replied to the post with the following words: "Dear Manuel, thank you for your tireless work throughout this time and for defending the ideas of freedom with a passion and commitment that are rarely seen."
The tributes did not end there. Despite having withdrawn her support weeks ago, as sources at the Casa Rosada confirmed, she described Adorni as "an upright, valuable person who is very dear to all of us." "We know the difficult – and undeserved – time you and your family have been going through for months, and we respect your decision, lamenting that circumstances have come to this," she wrote.
Patricia Bullrich, head of the La Libertad Avanza caucus in the Senate and Adorni's most prominent internal critic, posted a terse message. "Trust and ethics are two fundamental elements for deepening the change that the president, the people and the whole country are building together," she wrote. Within La Libertad Avanza, there had been an expectation that the message would close with "fin" – the word Adorni always used. But the former security minister, personal animosity notwithstanding, did not go that far.
The person who will take over as Cabinet chief is already confirmed. Sources at Balcarce 50 indicated that Santilli will be announced on Sunday. The arrival of 'El Colo' reflects a consensus among all the factions that hold sway within the executive branch.
That consensus includes the agreement of Karina Milei and adviser Santiago Caputo. The President's sister chose to have Santilli accompany her at her recent appearances in Buenos Aires Province and values the work he did in securing the passage of key legislation, including the 2026 budget and the labour reform.
Santiago Caputo, meanwhile, alongside his assessment of Santilli's performance at his Ministry, also recognises that the incoming Cabinef chief will be required to maintain the balance between competing forces. He sees him as a buffer against the Menem cousins (Martín and Eduardo).
As for the Interior Ministry, a successor is already in place. According to a top-level government source consulted by Perfil, it will pass to Ignacio Devitt – with one significant detail: it will no longer be a standalone ministry, but will instead be subsumed into the Cabinet chief's office. This mirrors the arrangement that applied when Guillermo Francos led the role.
Milei spent Saturday at the Quinta de Olivos presidential residence after returning from Madrid. He remained silent and, following Adorni's departure, did not bid him farewell with a direct message or a photograph online
Despite speculation – fuelled by Adorni's inner circle – about a formal farewell, Saturday delivered no official commemoration. The President confined himself to reposting content on his social media accounts, with the messages from his sister and Senator Bullrich the most prominent options.
Rumours circulated throughout the day that a joint image would follow a meeting between the two, but by the time of publication nothing had materialised and the President accepted Adorni's resignation.
A government source noted that Milei had always tried to hold on to Adorni, despite everything – but that his thinking shifted during his most recent visit to Spain, where he sensed that even his international agenda had been contaminated by the affair.
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