President Javier Milei’s request for the resignation of Silvestre Sivori from the helm of Argentina’s intelligence services kicked the rumour mill into gear.
According to local media reports, the new head of the Agencia Federal de Inteligencia (AFI) has already been chosen: the appointment of Sergio Dario Neiffert will soon be made official.
Silvestre’s exit left a key vacancy in the government structure. The names of Neiffert and Eduardo ‘Lule’ Menem, among others, emerged as the leading candidates to occupy the post.
Neiffert, currently the government representative at ACUMAR (Autoridad de Cuenca Matanza Riachuelo), has developed his career both in the public and in the private sector.
Previously he was the treasurer of the School Council in the district of Malvinas Argentinas when Jesús Cariglino (formerly of Frente Renovador, now answering to PRO) was mayor of that district. He was proposed by Luis Caputo, and appointed as representative of the Executive Branch before the ACUMAR Matanza Riachuelo Watershed Authority, via decree 238/2024.
In the private sector, Neiffert presided over New Consuld SA, a company with a broad range of activities extending from business management to the exploitation of economic rights. He also figures as an alternate director of New Francos SA, a real-estate and construction company.
Lule Menem, the other contender for the AFI chief, stands out as a versatile all-rounder in the Milei government and is known for his capacity to handle administrative issues and political operations from behind the scenes. He is closely linked to Karina Milei, the president’s sister, boosting his position as a key figure in the current political fabric.
Menem, with a significant political legacy, is the nephew of Eduardo Menem and cousin of Carlos Menem. Since he was a young man, he was immersed in politics under the tutelage of his uncle, working as a private secretary and accompanying him at key moments such as the 1994 Constitutional Assembly.
His track record includes important roles, such as working as the secretary of former La Rioja Governor Ángel Maza and advising Carlos Menem in the Senate.
Last summer was witness to the arrival of former military officers fond of “fine-tuned” intelligence. Governments are always promising to eliminate the “sewers of democracy” but at some point they are prone to visiting them.
– TIMES/PERFIL/NA
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