A Busy Day at Casa Rosada: Political Coordination and Papal Agenda
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Argentina's national government kicked off a politically charged day. Karina Milei, the President's sister and Secretary General of the Presidency, convened the ruling party's political table to organize the 'urgent' legislative agenda and evaluate the deregulation initiatives pushed by Minister Federico Sturzenegger. The meeting, which started at 1:00 PM at the Casa Rosada (the Argentine presidential palace), aims to avoid further setbacks in Congress, especially after the failure of the Property Inviolability Law in the Senate and while negotiations with the PRO party continue over the elimination of PASO (primary elections).
Later in the afternoon, at 5:00 PM, Karina Milei was set to lead the first interdisciplinary meeting to organize the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Argentina, scheduled for November 8-11. Cabinet ministers, particularly those in charge of security, and officials from the Buenos Aires City Government are participating. Representing the Catholic Church are the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Jorge García Cuerva, and priests Matías Taricco and Máximo Jurcinovic. The operation will define street closures and security protocols for the papal motorcade.
Seeking Federal Consensus on Energy Tariffs
In parallel, Economy Minister Luis 'Toto' Caputo and Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli received governors and technical teams from the Norte Grande region (Argentina's northern provinces) to analyze alternatives that account for higher energy consumption during the hottest months. The meeting, agreed upon last week in Posadas, included the governors of Catamarca, Salta, Chaco, and Jujuy, and aims to find a solution for the so-called 'warm zones' that could benefit from subsidized energy rates.
Fiscal Surplus and Spokesperson's Responses
The Economy Ministry reported that July closed with a financial surplus of AR$244,897 million, after registering a primary surplus of AR$2,960,333 million and interest payments of AR$2,715,436 million. Minister Caputo emphasized that the result was achieved 'in a month with a high concentration of debt interest payments, given the coupon payments on Global and Bonares bonds.'
In his eighth press conference, presidential spokesperson Adrián Ravier dismissed speculation about Javier Milei's health following his 9 days without a public schedule. 'The President is fine; yesterday he gave an excellent speech,' he said, calling the rumors 'absurd' and 'electioneering.' He also reaffirmed that 'the chainsaw is not going to be turned off' and expressed confidence in a re-election 'in the first round' in the 2027 elections.
'We imagine ourselves re-elected in the first round,' Ravier underscored, in a statement that seeks to consolidate the ruling party's narrative ahead of the election year.
Security: Historic Lows and Detention of a Former Advisor
On security matters, Ravier highlighted that intentional homicides dropped by 10% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with 738 victims versus 822 in 2025. Compared to the first half of 2023, the reduction reaches 41%, consolidating Argentina as the country with the lowest homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The day was also marked by the detention of Fernando Cerimedo, a former advisor to Javier Milei, at Viru Viru airport in Bolivia. He is accused of being the main suspect in the shooting attack against his ex-partner, lawyer Nadia Beller. The case has generated political and media shockwaves, with Vice President Victoria Villarruel responding on social media with a cryptic message.
Peronism Reacts and Polls Raise Alarms
In the opposition, the governor of La Rioja, Ricardo Quintela, relaunched the 'Chachos,' a provincial quasi-currency, prompting a harsh response from Milei on social media: 'Plan Platita 2.0' and 'a recipe for slavery.' Meanwhile, polls continue to show a deterioration in the government's image: 61% disapprove of the administration and 57% believe the country has gotten worse, according to a study by the University of San Andrés.
The week will continue with a march by the CGT (General Confederation of Labor) and social organizations to the Economy Ministry on Thursday, August 20, and will culminate with Milei's speech at the Rosario Stock Exchange on Friday.