Argentine government appoints new Defense and Social Development ministers

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, appointed new ministers to the Defense and Social Development portfolios on Monday, August 9, changes that are part of the context of the primary and legislative elections to be held in the next few months.

According to the Chief of Staff Santiago Cafiero, former Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana, will replace Agustín Rossi at the head of the Ministry of Defense. In contrast, Juan Zabaleta, mayor of Hurlingham, will replace Daniel Arroyo as Minister of Social Development.

Read also: Check out our coverage on Argentina

The changes are due to Fernandez’s decision that Rossi and Arroyo will leave their ministerial functions. Both have chosen to run as candidates of the ruling party in the primaries to be held in September, before the legislative elections next November.

“We appreciate all the dedication and effort made by both Daniel Arroyo and Agustín Rossi. They were excellent cabinet and work colleagues at a time when management exhausted many,” said Cafiero in a brief appearance before the press.

Fernández will swear in Taiana and Zabaleta on Tuesday.

Taiana, 71, served as Argentina’s foreign minister between December 2005 and June 2010, during the presidencies of Néstor Kirchner’s (2003-2007) and Cristina Fernández Kirchner (2007-2015).

The former foreign minister has held a seat in the Senate since December 2019 and was president of the Mercosur Parliament in 2016.

For his part, Zabaleta, 54, served as administrative secretary of the Senate between December 2011 and December 2015, when he was elected mayor of Hurlingham.

He was also a councilman for the Kirchnerist Frente para la Victoria from 2013 to 2015 and held positions in the National Social Security Administration (ANSES), first as director of Union Relations in 2004 and then as coordinating manager of Administration.

In December 2009, he became Undersecretary of Institutional Relations of the Ministry of Economics, which he held until December 2011. He was in charge of coordinating institutional strengthening tasks and relations with the Parliament and business chambers.