Argentine President Javier Milei has appointed the current military chief, Lieutenant General Carlos Presti, as the new Minister of Defense. This was the first time a soldier had taken on the role since the end of the military dictatorship in 1983. Milei claimed responsibility for this choice, writing in a statement that he hoped the decision would be followed by future politics, “ending the demonization of our officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers”. Argentina’s post-dictatorship democratic governments, which lasted between 1976 and 1983, have always had civilians as Ministers of Defense, and in recent decades in Argentina there have been numerous trials to identify the responsibility of military leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the dictatorship.
Carlos Presti replaces former minister Luis Preti, who was elected to the DPR in the last legislative election. In Argentina it is impossible to maintain a dual role: for the same reason, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, elected to the Senate from the Milei party (La Libertad Avanza), will be replaced by her deputy Alejandra Monteoliva.
