In the last week, an alleged scandal involved the physicist and economist Demián Reidelholder of Nucleoelectrica Argentina SA and close to the president Javier Mileifor an accusation about the management of purchases and sales of an undeclared personal real estate investment that, according to criticswould have served to justify unexplained financial movements and the payment of million-dollar debts in a short term..
The controversy deepened after an investigation by a journalistic portal, which revealed that Reidel had canceled personal debts for around 825 million pesos in just 18 days. This abrupt change caught the attention of political analysts who linked the maneuver to his management of a state company with awards for amounts exceeding 20,000 million pesos under his administration.
In the midst of this scenario, Reidel came out to cross the versions that were circulating both on networks and in press reports, rejecting any accusation of irregularity and explaining the origin of the funds used in the real estate operations that financed the cancellation of its liabilities.
Through publications on his social networks, the economist maintained that in In 2018, it acquired a stake in a real estate development within the country with its own fundsan operation that, according to his version, he carried out without connection with his public position and with total transparency before the corresponding organizations.
Reidel explained that the purchase of that participation was made with own resourcesand that the sale occurred in a staggered manner: In March 2023 and December 2024 he sold parts of that investment, and in 2025 he completed another fraction of the asset.
During part of that process, he explained, took out bridge financing using that real estate asset as collateralwhich generated debts that were later canceled once the money from the sales was received. The economist specified that the On December 15, the sale of that portion was completed for $770,000.and that both the initial acquisition and the sale were made with own capital and under deed certified by a notary public.
“I don’t usually respond to transactions, but it’s over. Here are the papers. In 2018 I bought a stake in a real estate development in Argentina with my own funds. I sold in stages, without rush: I sold in March 2023 and December 2024. In 2025 I sold another part and, while that sale progressed, I took out bridge financing against the asset to have liquidity: that is “the debt.” On 12/15/2025 I sold that part for USD 770,000. The purchase was with my own funds. I collected and paid the debt. It is a transparent operation, fully documented, with signatures certified before a public notary and is stated in my sworn statement.
The sequence of operations shows that There was no use of state resources or Nucleoeléctrica funds for personal effortsand assured that the entire operation is documented and was reported in his sworn statement. With this argument, the official sought to defuse suspicions that the sudden cancellation of debts could be linked to an alleged benefit derived from his position in the State or from awards under his supervision.
So far no specific criminal complaints have been formalized for this real estate issue, but the case has become a focus of public debate about transparency, assets and responsibility of officials in the management of their personal assets while they occupy positions of state relevance in Argentina. Days ago, Reidel was in the public eye after denouncing Alleged irregularities in million-dollar contracts and overpricing in Nucleoeléctrica Argentina SA (NASA)the state company in charge of operating the country’s nuclear power plants.
The controversy arose from a formal presentation before the company’s Integrity Committee by the engineer Juan Pablo Norazcomanager of the Atucha I and II plants, who warned about a process of direct contracting of the plants’ cleaning service that would have generated a economic damage estimated at more than 6.5 million dollars. Norazco stated that, compared to a tender for the service that historically cost close to 600,000 dollars for two years, the new proposed contract was around 7 million, a figure that raised alarms about possible overpricing and failures in the technical evaluation process.
The Association of State Workers (ATE), a union representation with a strong presence in Zárate and linked to the operation of the nuclear plants, confirmed the complaint and maintained that the engineer’s claim “It is not linked to party politics”highlighting that the alleged irregularities point to the management of the contract and alleged “irregular” hiring practices within the company.
The scandal deepened with other presentations arising from the ATE union itself that indicated purchases of administrative software at a price that would far exceed market values: according to these internal complaints, a SAP S/4HANA system would have been acquired for around 7 million dollars when its standard value is close to 600,000 dollarswhich would imply an overprice of more than 1000% and led to requests for a detailed audit.
Reidel’s public reaction came via your environment and official networkswhere the economist denied that there was any malicious or irregular intention in the hiring under his management at the head of Nucleoeléctrica. Sources close to his team maintained that internal processes are subject to review and that any complaint will be investigated with transparency, also pointing out that some of the accusations are due to internal company conflicts with technical sectors that resisted administrative changes promoted by the new leadership.
Reidel, who was appointed by Milei himself as head of NASA after having served as head of the Council of Economic Advisors to the Presidency, has been facing tensions within the state company for months. According to specialized publications, his management included the departure of historical officials and technical managerswhich generated resistance and internal complaints that now transcended the public debate. The seriousness of the case led to the Nucleoelectrica’s board decided to suspend the questioned tender and temporarily remove two managers appointed by Reidelthe general manager Marcelo Famá and the Administrative Coordination manager Hernán Pantuso, while the reported events are investigated to guarantee transparency in the company.
The controversy around Reidel adds to a series of public debates about the management of strategic resources of the State and transparency in contracting in public companies. The case, still in the investigation stage, raises questions about administrative practices, internal controls and the relationship between government-appointed officials and the management of state assets of high economic and strategic relevance.
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