Mileis new defense minister has stirred human rights groups and the army. Heres why

President Javier Milei’s decision to appoint the head of the Argentine Army, Lieutenant General Carlos Presti, as his new defense minister has caused a stir across many sectors.  From human rights groups to defense experts and top military brass, concerns regarding the participation of an active military member with the federal government are broad and go beyond the country’s polarized politics. Presti will succeed Luis Petri, who will leave the post to become a deputy on December 10, after winning the seat in October’s parliamentary election.  In order to understand the controversy, we have to go over the country’s recent history and the army’s role in it.  The designation is unprecedented in modern times. The end of the last military dictatorship brought on a consensus that the head of the defense department must be a civilian. Human rights organizations estimate some 30,000 people were disappeared during the last military regime, between 1976 and 1983. The president’s office defended its decision to break with convention in a statement announcing the appointment. “For the first time since the return of democracy, a person with an impeccable military career who has reached the highest rank in his hierarchy will be at the head of the ministry in charge of national defense and the armed forces, inaugurating a tradition that we hope the political leadership will continue from now on and putting an end to the demonization of our officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers,” it read. Since his presidential campaign, Milei has defended the armed forces and questioned the extent of the crimes committed during the last military dictatorship.  After taking office in December 2023, he demoted the Human Rights ministry to an undersecretariat, and his government was the first to deny the existence of 30,000 disappeared. The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, who are dedicated to finding the close to 500 children stolen during the last military dictatorship, considered Presti’s appointment another “provocation.” “It confirms a plan to destroy democratic consensus,” they denounced on their site.  The organization’s president, Estela de Carlotto, warned that the decision “is starting a situation of violence in society.”  “We already know the history that Argentina has had with coups, dictatorships, and everything we have suffered,” she stated in an interview with Radio Splendid. Concerns over the decision are not limited to the symbolic nature of the move but to the man himself. Presti’s decision to not retire from the Army despite it being mandated by law, coupled with the disarray his appointment caused in the military’s chain of command and serious allegations against his father, have only increased the spotlight.  A military member and a minister Shortly after being appointed, Presti announced he would not retire from the military to take his post in the government. Instead, he requested to be placed on standby (known in Spanish as pasar a disponibilidad), an equivalent to taking leave. It should be noted that this is allowed on a temporary basis. According to war veteran and seasoned Ambito journalist Edgardo Aguilera, military legislation allows senior personnel appointed to government functions not linked to the armed forces to be on “disponibilidad,” but only “up to six months tops.”  After that they must retire or return to active duty. Presti has not indicated if he will eventually retire.  Former Defense Minister Oscar Aguad — who served under Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) — described the decision to appoint an active military officer for the post as “a mistake.” “I think Presti should retire, firstly because the law doesn’t allow it — military personnel cannot get involved in politics— and secondly to avoid creating confusion,” he stated during an interview with Infobae. Agustín Rossi, in charge of Defense between 2019 and 2021 under President Alberto Fernandez, also showed his opposition. “The armed forces become involved in the fate of the government when they should be preserved from any political circumstance,” he told Herald sister publication Ámbito. Those who defend the appointment, however, claim that since the defense ministry is directly linked to military activity, that law shouldn’t apply to the future minister. Sins of the father Pestri is also being questioned over his connections. Specifically, regarding the controversial role his father played during the dictatorship and the view his son has held regarding alleged crimes he committed. As head of the 7th Infantry Regiment of La Plata, Roque Carlos Presti was allegedly involved in the kidnappings of high school students during what became known as the infamous Noche de los Lapices (Night of the Pencils), in September 1976. He was also accused of organizing the clandestine detention of Clara Anahí Mariani, the granddaughter of one of the founders of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, who remains disappeared. While Presti Sr. admitted before a court in 1987 that he had received orders from his superiors to “detain people,” he was never formally tried for any crime, as he died in 1993, before the so-called “impunity laws” — a series of laws passed in the late 1980s that put an end to the trials for crimes against humanity — were struck down. Carlos Presti has never spoken publicly about the crimes his father was accused of, something his critics denounce. Another former defense minister, Julio Martínez (2015-2017), however, has cautioned against condemning someone because of their family name.  “Judging by surnames was done by the Nazis and also during Kirchnerism, when impeccable military personnel were denied promotions because they had a relative linked to the dictatorship,” he warned on Radio Rivadavia. Changes in the military Prest’s appointment also stirred things up within the top military brass.  By naming him minister, the government in essence created a conflict in the chain of command, as he would be considered “above” his current peers, the heads of the Navy (Admiral Carlos Allievi) and the Air Force (Brigadier General Gustavo Valverde), and even over his current superior, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brigadier General Xavier Isaac.  To resolve this, Milei decided to change the whole leadership, with one exception: Valverde, who will remain as the head of the Air Force.