After Sunday’s victory, Pablo Quirno formally takes office today as the new chancellor of Argentina, in the midst of a key rearrangement in Javier Milei’s cabinet. An extremely trusted economist of the Minister of Economy Luis Caputo, he replaces Gerardo Werthein, who resigned after internal disagreements. Although he has no diplomatic experience, Quirno built a solid career in finance: he spent 17 years at JP Morgan as head of Mergers and Acquisitions for Latin America and founded Samsom Capital Advisers, where he advised governments and companies on debt issues.
His arrival at the San Martín Palace, however, is crossed by questions: his patrimonial situation remains under scrutiny. According to the only sworn statement he presented – in December 2023, upon assuming office as Secretary of Finance – he reported a total assets of 160 million pesos (about US$ 440,000 at the then exchange rate), composed mainly of properties and deposits, most of them abroad, and without declared financial investments. The figure, relevant at the time, lost weight in the face of subsequent inflation and devaluation, but it raises questions about its evolution.
The most delicate point is its lack of updating. Quirno did not present his declaration corresponding to 2024, despite the fact that the deadline for national officials expired on July 31. The Anti-Corruption Office has it registered as an “obligatory subject” and clarifies that “to date there is no information about the presentation.” The omission is serious for an official with privileged access to sensitive financial data and who was Caputo’s “executing hand” in crucial negotiations to avoid a major crisis.
Official silence fuels suspicions and reignites the debate about transparency in libertarian government. Why hasn’t Quirno updated his assets yet? In an administration that promotes austerity and combats corruption, non-compliance is uncomfortable. The OA could act if the irregularity persists.
Today, with his landing in the Foreign Ministry and diplomacy aligned with the economic core, Quirno faces his first political test: accountability. His $160 million declaration became old; The question is if, and when, it will show the new one.
