The appointment of Juan Bautista Mahiques as the new Minister of Justice, replacing Mariano Cúneo Libarona, marks a victory for Karina Milei in her internal dispute with Santiago Caputo. The change, announced by President Javier Milei, sidelines Caputo's allies like Sebastián Amerio, who receives the Treasury Procuración as a consolation. This move deepens tensions within the libertarian government.
The Ministry of Justice has been the epicenter of the recent internal dispute in Javier Milei's government. Mariano Cúneo Libarona announced his resignation, a departure that had been postponed at the request of Karina Milei, the president's general secretary, to reorganize the area and displace influences from Santiago Caputo, a key advisor to the president.
On March 8, 2026, Milei appointed Juan Bautista Mahiques, until then the Attorney General of the City of Buenos Aires, as the new minister. Mahiques publicly thanked Karina Milei on social media X for the appointment, and Santiago Viola, an ally of the president's sister, was designated as deputy minister. Outgoing deputy minister Sebastián Amerio, close to Caputo, had aspired to the top role but was reassigned to the Treasury Procuración, the state's lawyers.
In an interview with Marcelo Bonelli on Radio Mitre on the day of his resignation, Cúneo Libarona harshly criticized Amerio, confirming the decision came from Karina Milei and her deputy. This appointment raises suspicions due to possible links of Mahiques with investigations into the AFA, Argentina's football governing body, amid ongoing judicial conflicts.
The feud between Karina Milei and Caputo intensified after the opening of sessions in Congress on March 1, 2026, where Caputo's allies, like Daniel Parisini, were ignored in the official broadcast on Karina's orders. Sources close to the matter indicate Karina aims to extend her control to areas like the SIDE intelligence agency and the Ministry of Health, while Caputo leaks rumors of his possible exit from the government.
Milei maintains a close relationship with Caputo, as seen in a public hug during Mahiques' swearing-in the previous Thursday, but empowers his sister without apparent limits. These internal tensions contrast with Milei's external confrontation against the opposition in his congressional speech, where he called social justice a robbery.
