Factional War Rages Unabated in Milei's Government Amid Corruption Probe

A fierce factional war is consuming Argentina's government under President Javier Milei, leaving little room for celebration or even acknowledgment of political victories or defeats. The internal conflict has reached a point where a key figure, Santiago Caputo, known as the "Kremlin's Magician," finds himself embroiled in a new crisis just as he might have savored a rival's setback.

The latest turmoil centers on Facundo Leal, the former head of the airport control agency (ORSNA) and a current employee of the telecommunications company Arsat. Leal, who served as president of Arsat under the previous Alberto Fernández administration, is now under scrutiny by judicial and prosecutorial authorities in San Isidro. The investigation concerns the alleged theft of technological material from a warehouse contracted by Arsat.

Searches of Leal's properties, including an apartment in Buenos Aires and a house in Mendoza, uncovered approximately $2.4 million in cash, various drugs such as cocaine, ketamine, and ecstasy, a scale likely used for weighing narcotics, and 19 electronic devices associated with espionage. The findings have sent shockwaves through the administration.

Leal's continued presence in government roles, spanning both the Fernández and Milei administrations, has generated widespread concern. This continuity is attributed to a strategy by Santiago Caputo, who reportedly acquired entire teams from the previous government, often linked to former minister Sergio Massa. Notably, Caputo himself operates outside formal government positions, controlling vast public budgets alongside his brother Francisco, while subordinates handle official signings. Leal's loyalty, reportedly to Massa and his close associates, highlights the complex web of allegiances and potential vulnerabilities within the new government.