The new stage: Karina moves forward and leaves the "iron triangle" reeling

After his victory in last Sunday's elections, President Javier Milei met with his sister, Karina Milei, and the influential advisor Santiago Caputo . They had a long-overdue conversation. The so-called "iron triangle"—a term coined by the President—had been fractured, torn apart by its members, embroiled in power struggles for months. They made peace. Or at least they tried to.

That meeting marked the beginning of the Cabinet reshuffle that culminated this Sunday, for now. In the morning, at the Olivos presidential residence, the Milei brothers and Caputo met again face-to-face. The Cabinet had to be finalized before Monday, when the markets opened.

Caputo abandoned his plans : he initially sought the position of Chief of Staff, but the appointment of former spokesperson Manuel Adorni was the Milei family's decisive response. The remaining option was for him to assume the role of Interior Minister with expanded powers . This plan clashed with Adorni's rise.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, like his cousin, Eduardo “Lule” Menem, both staunch allies of Karina, had warned the President that they needed a reliable interlocutor in that position to lead the changes in Congress that would benefit the ruling party . A slow, calculated game of chess cornered the strategist, who held no formal government position.

He declined offers to join the Cabinet. The President also believed it impossible for him to assume a mega-ministerial role, given that he would give a new Chief of Staff a chance to develop as the coordinator of libertarian policies.

The internal conflict within the "iron triangle" seems to be settled. But is it? Time will tell—this fundamental enigma for the smooth functioning of Milei's administration.

The name of Diego Santilli as the new Minister of the Interior was suggested by Karina Milei , according to high-level official sources. Another version indicates that Caputo also participated in the decision. "Karina had been talking with Diego for the past two days," sources from the Casa Rosada insisted.

In just five days everything changed . The victory in last Sunday's national elections transformed Karina Milei, the electoral "organizer" of La Libertad Avanza alongside the Menems, into the "new" power.

The bizarre Argentina: Caputo made efforts to force the resignation of the one chosen by all of them to compete as the first candidate for deputy for Buenos Aires, José Luis Espert , embroiled in self-generated controversies for his concealment of the link that linked him financially with the accused drug trafficker by the United States Justice, Federico Machado.

Santilli replaced him with the support and advice of Caputo's communications team. The very same Caputo who ultimately buried him.

For now, Caputo's tactic to exert influence over an increasing number of public agencies is impossible to implement . Will the Milei family unleash a "chainsaw" on key officials who answer to their external advisor?

Milei and Caputo are hostages to themselves . Accomplices in the formation of a government and also functional to each other in the essential alliance with Donald Trump's administration.

Caputo first fought to become Chief of Staff. The person who held that position, Guillermo Francos , respected by all, was ultimately dismissed by the President last Friday at noon. He would be followed in that direction, as always, by his loyal Lisandro Catalán , brief head of the Interior Ministry.

Francos felt mistreated by Milei. Rumors about changes to his position were spread by the President himself in media interviews.

The resigned chief of staff was very critical of Caputo, the Menems and to a lesser extent of Karina Milei in the penultimate meeting in which he intervened so that the President would meet again with Mauricio Macri.

Francos would not return to the Olivos Presidential Residence to act as a third party in the dialogue between the President and the former president. Milei asked him to resign as Chief of Staff before meeting with Macri , several government sources confirmed. It was Milei who called Macri to deliver the bad news.

The former president thought he could convince Milei to reverse that decision, which had been kept secret until that moment. He arrived at Olivos and the President told him that the new Chief of Staff would be Manuel Adorni.

Macri got angry. He argued with Milei. Francos announced his resignation during dinner at Olivos. Macri then publicly expressed his negative opinion of Adorni on social media.

The die was cast. Santilli accepted the new challenge. He demonstrated versatility and an understanding of how Peronism works. He also knows the secrets of the PRO party.

Caputo will remain in his post , sources from his team confirmed. However, in this administration, nothing is ever truly certain. The major internal power struggle at the Casa Rosada seems to have winners and losers.

Adorni is the new chief of staff. Santilli will lead the dialogue with legislators and governors. The new phase of Javier Milei's administration has now truly begun.

In electoral terms, and also politically for the Casa Rosada, what seemed likely to happen, didn't. And what was supposed to happen, didn't. Pure politics.