Santiago Caputo, Javier Milei’s main political advisor, maintains a mobility pattern as varied as it is striking. Recently he was recorded entering or leaving the Casa Rosada in at least five different vehicles: a gray Peugeot 408, another silver 408, a Toyota SW4 truck, a Toyota Corolla hybrid car and a black Jeep Limited.
Tracking the patents of these cars reveals a more complex plot than the simple alternation of official vehicles. Traffic records show that, together, the units used by Caputo accumulate more than 14 million pesos in unpaid fines, as of the closing of this note. In the past the accumulation of fines reached 90 million pesos. Most of the violations were for speeding, red traffic or improper use of exclusive lanes.
An example: on August 12, one of the cars was detected driving in the exclusive lane of Córdoba Avenue, just twenty minutes after Caputo left the Casa Rosada. The fine was received at 6:47 p.m. and Caputo, according to the income and expenditure records of the Casa Rosada, which this media had access to, registered his departure at 6:22 p.m. To complete the journey, that day there would be a meeting at Quinta de Olivos with different deputies from La Libertad Avanza. Caputo would arrive at that dinner at 8:22 p.m.
On September 6 at 2:30 in the morning, a Toyota SW4 truck ran a red light at Alem 500, in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires. Caputo that night of Friday, September 5, had left the Casa Rosada at 9:15 p.m.
Three days later, on September 9 at 9:16, another official vehicle assigned to Santiago Caputo crossed the Paseo del Bajo at Km 5.1 southbound, reserved for heavy transportation during business days. Ten minutes later, Caputo entered the Government House. One detail: In the long list of fines for the cars that Caputo uses, the most common is using the Paseo del Bajo during hours that are not allowed.
That day, Caputo’s driver was demon-possessed. When the work day ended, at 8:15 p.m., Caputo changed cars, got into the gray Corolla and they sped down Córdoba Avenue using the exclusive lane for taxis and buses. All violations remain unpaid.
Another point to analyze about the cars that Santiago Caputo uses is the ownership of the vehicles. Automotive records indicate that of the 5 vehicles analyzed, 2 are in the name of the Ministry of Justice. These are the two Peugeot 408s. Then the Toyota SW4 truck is registered in the name of a person named Juan José Palmiotti, the owner of the gray Toyota Corolla is the company ASP Blindajes SA and the most recent, the Jeep truck, is registered in the name of a woman called Noelia Pons, who, according to SIDE sources told this magazine, would be a rental from the company Jack Cars. This car dealership would have a significant fleet of high-end vehicles rented from SIDE. Sergio Neiffert is a friend of Horacio Jack, owner of the dealership.
The scheme combines official cars, rotating drivers and a growing history of violations. Caputo changes vehicles frequently, sometimes in the same day, and the cars he uses – according to records – belong to different public agencies. The result: a million-dollar debt in fines that, in practice, end up being absorbed by the State.
Below, all of Caputo’s cars:
Image gallery
