# Argentine government leadership changes and internal tension > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/argentine-government-leadership-changes-and-internal-tension > Updated: 2026-09-21T15:08:59.000Z. Sources: 82. Developments: 2. The Javier Milei administration in Argentina has experienced high-level departures within various government agencies amid internal political friction and budgetary debates. In August 2026, José Andrés Velis stepped down as the Director General of Customs. His departure followed reports of internal power struggles involving presidential advisor Santiago Caputo and Karina Milei, occurring alongside operational challenges such as staff reductions and security system failures within the agency. By late September 2026, Alejandro Vilches resigned as the National Secretary of Disability, citing “strictly personal reasons” in a letter to Health Minister Mario Lugones. His resignation followed the departure of the previous head, Diego Spagnuolo, and coincided with intense political friction regarding the government’s 2027 Budget proposal. The proposed budget includes controversial measures such as deregulating the health benefits system, removing the automatic update for the nomenclator of benefits, and implementing significant cuts to non-contributory pensions. These measures have drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and caused internal tension within the ruling coalition. Senator Patricia Bullrich, leader of the Libertarian bloc in the Senate, expressed surprise at the inclusion of these provisions, noting they were not previously discussed within the political leadership. Additionally, recent audits of the former National Disability Agency (ANDIS) revealed a discrepancy of over 158 billion pesos in debt records, though reports note this occurred during the prior administration. Following Vilches’ resignation, Pablo Di Liscia, the former head of IOMA in Buenos Aires province, has been officially designated as the new head of the National Secretary of Disability. Di Liscia aims to optimize benefit access and strengthen audits to detect fraudulent pension claims. In response to the budget backlash, the government has indicated it may revise the provisions for the disability sector through a “superior project” developed with allies. ## Claims - The government confirmed Vilches' departure but has not named a successor. (disputed by 17 sources) - Pablo Di Liscia was appointed as the new National Secretary of Disability. (disputed by 4 sources) - Alejandro Vilches resigned from his position as National Secretary of Disability for strictly personal reasons. (corroborated by 31 sources) - Senator Patricia Bullrich criticized the lack of coordination regarding the budget modifications. (corroborated by 15 sources) - The government decided to backtrack on the budget proposals regarding disability law after internal backlash. (corroborated by 11 sources) - Vilches submitted his resignation via a letter addressed to Health Minister Mario Lugones. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The 2027 Budget proposal included provisions to repeal parts of the current disability law, including the nomenclator for benefits. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The new administration will continue the audit of non-contributory pensions for work disability to detect fraud. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Vilches signed a resolution on September 16 to update benefit fees by 1.70%. (corroborated by 2 sources) - An audit of the former National Disability Agency (ANDIS) detected a discrepancy of over 158 billion pesos in debt records. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-21: Alejandro Vilches resigns as Argentina's National Secretary of Disability Alejandro Vilches has resigned as Argentina's National Secretary of Disability amid budget disputes and audit findings. Pablo Di Liscia has been appointed as his successor to lead the sector. 71 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/alejandro-vilches-resigns-as-argentinas-national-secretary-of-disability ### 2026-08-26: Customs Director José Andrés Velis leaves post amid Argentine government tensions Argentina's Customs Director José Andrés Velis has left his post amid reports of resignation or leave, highlighting internal power struggles within the Milei administration and operational challenges at the DGA 13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jos-velis-takes-leave-of-absence-from-argentina-customs-leadership --- Cite as: Argentine government leadership changes and internal tension. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/argentine-government-leadership-changes-and-internal-tension