Chaco Governor Leandro Zdero met with Interior Minister Diego Santilli in Resistencia to back the national government's labor reform and discuss key infrastructure projects. The meeting is part of Santilli's federal tour and aims to secure support for extraordinary Senate sessions. Topics included the second Chaco-Corrientes bridge and port modernization.
On Tuesday, January 12, 2026, in Resistencia, Chaco's capital, Governor Leandro Zdero met with Interior Minister Diego Santilli. This meeting, part of Santilli's federal tour across provinces, focused on aligning Chaco with the national agenda, especially the labor reform the executive aims to address in the Senate in February.
Zdero voiced explicit support for the initiative, arguing that current labor frameworks fail to address structural issues. “Argentina cannot stay in the past. If we want to lower country risk, generate employment, and recover the productive matrix, we must dare to make changes,” the governor stated. He added: “Old recipes always lead to the same results. This is a new time and Chaco wants to move forward.”
Another key focus was strategic infrastructure. Zdero called for progress on the second Chaco-Corrientes bridge, described as “key for connectivity and competitiveness in northern Argentina,” the dredging and reactivation of the Barranqueras and Las Palmas ports, and improvements to national routes. He highlighted national funding for the second aqueduct, valued at 80 billion pesos.
After the meeting, they toured the Puerto de Barranqueras, assessing its logistical potential. Zdero backed a legislative bill to modernize the port law, in place for over seven decades: “A port that doesn't function doesn't generate development. We need modern rules to boost exports and production.”
Santilli stressed that the reform aims to reduce informality, which exceeds 50% nationally. “It's not about taking rights from those who have them, but giving them to those who have none today and providing predictability to SMEs, which generate 85% of employment,” he explained. It will dynamize sectors like agriculture, energy, mining, and the knowledge industry.
On the second bridge, Santilli confirmed the project is under review for international financing through the IDB, with national support for joint efforts between Chaco and Corrientes. The meeting ended with a shared commitment to more production, private investment, and jobs in the province.
