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Santiago Caputo, who has the somewhat encrypted title of “special assistant to the president,” and presidential secretary Karina Milay have been kept in the shadows behind the scenes in Argentina’s government for months.
He is a strategist responsible for the network policy and campaign that led Javier Millay to the presidency in 2023. A loyal younger sister, she rose from being Javier’s de facto nanny, who had been abused by her father as a child, to being responsible for managing the party apparatus and handling state offices.
Neither had the public profile or political experience to match the power they rapidly amassed.
As a result of the midterm election results, for better or for worse, this core has become the center of power for Milley’s administration…and the president will continue to be in charge of this core until the end of his term.
Caputo has just released an interesting study of his roots in Maia Justbranski’s El Monje. Regarding Karina, I recommend another book by journalist Juan Luis González, “Las Fuerzas del Cielo”. sheet.
Currently, the two are Argentina’s main helmsmen. It’s important to know more about them.
Karina holds the position of Presidential Secretary General, but her role goes beyond the bureaucracy, controlling appointments, evaluating management objectives, and filtering access to the president. More than 60% of first- and second-level appointments were signed last year.
Caputo became the brains behind the government’s communications and digital strategy. He has an estimated budget of 25 billion pesos (just over 90 million reais) under his command, according to consultancy Politicon+. He also presides over a council that coordinates political information, social networks and communication coordination with Casa Rosada.
result: Millay is the boss, but no one ignores who actually makes the decisions. He signs laws, attends international conferences, and presents himself as a rocker, but behind the scenes there is an engine running. Karina manages the ministry and sets priorities. Caputo designs the story, chooses the ministers, and instructs them how to dance.
This format consolidates power into a triangle consisting of the president, his media performers, sister executives, strategists and ideologues. This is the method chosen to overcome serious economic problems and social tensions during the remaining two years of government.
The weakness of this arrangement lies in its lack of cross-platform legitimacy. Cracks in this power begin to appear when the data shows that the inflation rate at the end of 2025 will reach 22% (much lower, of course, than in the previous government, but still a very high number) and that there is virtually no foreign investment coming.
Caputo’s network alone is not enough. Karina has little public sympathy and will not cooperate with street campaigning. But so far there is no united opposition, and Milley, with some help from Donald Trump, gained significant momentum in the midterm elections. But everything seems fragile for now. To be seen.
mirada
One of the classics of Latin American literature and film is back on the big screen. This is a new version of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” with the release of Manuel Puig’s re-edited version, which is expected to hit stores in the coming weeks.
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See more Manuel Puig
Many of his works have been published in Brazil, but important titles are missing. There is a two-volume collection of letters written by the Argentine writer to his family called Puig Querida Familia, written by the author of Buenos Aires in exile, in which he describes his experiences in Europe and the Americas. This collection of letters, which includes “European Letters” (1956-1962) and “American Letters” (1963-1983), reveals Puig’s creative process, his reflections on film, culture, and life, and his maturation as a writer.
“Gabo and Mercedes: Farewell” (Rodrigo Garcia, recorded)2022)
We will celebrate the Colombian in our newsletter until 2027, when he celebrates his 100th birthday. Today we will be featuring “Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes/Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes” written by my son Rodrigo. The story begins in 2014 when Mercedes, the writer’s mother and Gabo’s wife, discovers that the writer has a severe case of influenza and says, “We’re not going to get out of this disease.” The book is sublime.
“Latin American Independence” (Valdir Santos, Context, 2025)
The author proposes an innovative interpretation of the continent’s liberation process. Rather than restricting himself to the “colonial/metropolitan” dichotomy or stories of great heroes, the author analyzes the complex social, economic, and political structures that shaped the formation of new nations. This work places independence within a broader context and highlights the diversity of experiences and political projects that coexisted during the period. In doing so, it invites consideration of Latin American identity and how independence movements helped define the region’s place on the world stage. The book is published by Contexto and a release schedule will be announced soon.
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