Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Perfil

ARGENTINA | Today 13:24

Few ministers on Milei’s list of recent visitors to Olivos presidential residence

Who has been visiting President Javier Milei at the Olivos presidential residence in recent months? Who is the economist who has been there more times than Economy Minister Luis Caputo? And why does a physiotherapist top the list?

Since the start of his administration, President Javier Milei has made the Olivos presidential residence on the outskirts of Buenos Aires his natural working environment, negating the need for him to travel to the Casa Rosada.

Perfil obtained exclusive access to the entry records to the residence – but these show that the most frequent visitors to Olvios are not linked to the management of the government. Given that the President seems to be reluctant to hold Cabinet meetings and remains detached from political administration, when then does he speak with his ministers and officials?

Between March 2025 and July 2025, the most frequent visitors to Olivos were the President’s physiotherapist, Leandra Protolongo, who entered 36 times, and economist and friend Juan Carlos De Pablo, who was there 23 times. Neither of them holds public office, yet they top the list of those admitted into the President’s inner circle.

Perfil contacted De Pablo, but the economist and consultant said he does not disclose details of his conversations at Olivos and abruptly cut the call.

Records show that De Pablo visited eight times in March, four in April, two in May, four in June and five in July. The frequency shows he is not just attending the “opera Sundays” at Olivos, but that he maintains dialogue with the President beyond those gatherings.

Meanwhile, Protolongo – who previously worked for Boca Juniors football club and had ties with Mauricio Macri’s management of the legendary football club – entered 12 times in March, 10 in April, 10 in May, three in June and once in July. The high number of visits reflects the President’s ongoing health complaints.

Ministers who saw the President most often were Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos and Economy Minister Luis ‘Toto’ Caputo. Both entered eight times over the five-month period – a stark contrast to the number of visits made by De Pablo and Protolongo.

Next on the list is National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, who visited seven times, the same number as top presidential adviser Santiago Caputo and Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein. Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello, another Milei ally, was in attendance six times.

Another surprise from the list is Karina Milei – over the five months, the president’s sister and chief-of-staff visited just four times and did not set foot in the residence in either June or July. 

The same is true for Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni, whose last visit was in May, the same month he won election to the Buenos Aires City legislature.

Milei’s deregulation czar Federico Sturzenegger’s presence at Olivos also falls short of the lavish praise he receives from the President – four visits, the same as Defence Minister Luis Petri.

 

Falling from favour

Two figures have notably reduced their visits in recent months.

Diego Spagnuolo, Milei’s former lawyer who began the year (January–February period) with the most-frequent number of appearances to the residence, has disappeared from the list. 

The former head of the ANDIS national disability agency, at the centre of a developing corruption scandal thanks to audio recordings featuring his voice, began to fade from the records in March – his last entry was on April 6.

The other is online libertarian influencer Iñaki Gutiérrez, who between January and February logged 33 entries. During the five months recently analysed, he visited only seven times – quite a contrast.

Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona did not set foot in Olivos during the five-month period. Neither did Lisandro Catalán, the newly appointed Interior minister.

There is one key surname from the government, due to its closeness to Karina, barely appears in Olivos in this period: Menem. 

On March 16, Lower House Speaker Martín Menem entered the residence. The records also list “Eduardo Menem.” But is that ‘Lule,’ Karina’s top ally and official, or Eduardo, as in former president Carlos Menem’s brother (and Martín’s father)?

One striking detail emerges from the findings: the official with the highest number of entries to Olivos was filmmaker Santiago Oría, who had 23 in total but has no real weight in the administration.​

Pablo Varela

Pablo Varela

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