The Government announced this Thursday, October 23, through the official @OPRArgentina account of the Office of the President, the appointment of Pablo Quirno as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, replacing Gerardo Wertheinwho resigned after disagreements with the presidential environment. In the official statement it was stated: “The Office of the President informs that Gerardo Werthein has presented his resignation as of Monday, October 27. In his replacement, the new chancellor will be Pablo Quirno, current Secretary of Finance and key member of the economic team that managed to avoid the biggest crisis in the history of the country.”
The official will take office on the 27th, a day after the legislative elections, in a move that confirms Javier Milei’s decision to align the Foreign Ministry with the economic heart of his government. But the designation comes surrounded by controversy: Quirno did not present his 2024 affidavit, despite the fact that national officials had until July 31 to do so.
As revealed by El Destape, the Anti-Corruption Office (OA) recognized that the current Secretary of Finance “is registered as an obligated subject” but that “to date there is no information about the presentation.” That is to say, one of the most powerful men on the economic team did not comply with his legal obligation.
The data generates concern due to the central role it occupies. Quirno is Luis Caputo’s executive hand in managing Argentine debt, both in pesos and dollars, with privileged access to financial information.. His career supports him: he worked for 17 years at JP Morgan, where he was director of Mergers and Acquisitions for Latin America, and then founded Samsom Capital Advisers, advising governments and companies. However, In the only sworn statement he presented – upon assuming office in December 2023 – he declared assets of 160 million pesos, equivalent to about 440 thousand dollars.a surprisingly low figure for a former global banker.
It also reported properties and deposits mostly abroad, without declared financial investments. Since then, he has not updated his data. In a context of economic and political tension, the case revives the debate on transparency and control standards among officials in the most sensitive area of the Government.
