President Javier Milei is expected to reshuffle his cabinet after Argentina’s midterm elections Sunday as one of his top advisers could take on a more prominent role, newspaper Clarín reported Monday.
Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein and Justice Minister Mariano Cuneo Libarona would leave the cabinet, according to Clarín, which cited high-ranking government sources. Werthein, in his current job for less than a year, sat next to Milei just last week at the White House as US President Donald Trump hosted Argentina’s delegation. He also led Argentina’s trade negotiations with the United States.
Werthein declined to comment.
The moves would come as Milei’s government is receiving a historic financial lifeline from the Trump administration. Argentina’s Central Bank announced earlier Monday that both nations had signed a US$20-billion currency swap line agreement, though the statement didn’t provide many key details.
The US Treasury has also bought Argentine pesos to shore up the currency and it’s coordinating another loan from private banks to Milei’s government. A group of banks including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are struggling to put together the financing package, the Wall Street Journal reported later Monday. Argentina may also be supplying more beef to the United States.
The moves would come as Milei creates a more formal role for influential adviser Santiago Caputo, though it’s unclear exactly what his new title would be, according to Clarín. The newspaper also reported that Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos’ future is up in the air, since Caputo – a relative to Economy Minister Luis Caputo – could be considered for that key role.
Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, who is also a Senate candidate in the midterms, would be replaced as well after the vote as her ministry would be combined with the Justice Ministry, the newspaper added.
Cabinet overhauls are common in Argentina after elections, though it’s unusual for diplomats like Werthein to depart after such high-profile meetings like those last week in Washington.
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