President Javier Milei dismissed the head of ANDIS, Diego Spagnuolo.

In a clear message of transparency and commitment to institutional order, President Javier Milei preventively removed Diego Spagnuolo, executive director of the National Disability Agency (ANDIS), following the release of audio recordings implicating him in improper fundraising schemes. The government thus reinforces its stance of "zero tolerance" toward any act that could affect the credibility of the country's economic and political direction.

The decision was officially communicated through the Presidential Spokesperson's Office. The statement said: "In light of the facts of public knowledge and the evident political use by the opposition in an election year, the President of the Nation has decided, as a preventive measure, to remove the Executive Director of the National Disability Agency, Diego Spagnuolo, from his position. The Minister of Health, Mario Lugones, will intervene in the National Disability Agency and will announce in the coming hours the name of the agency's new administrator, in order to guarantee its normal and proper functioning."

The measure was announced after the release of a series of audio recordings in which, allegedly, Spagnuolo's voice refers to an irregular fundraising scheme linked to the purchase and sale of medications. In the recordings, released by the streaming channel Carnaval, names from the ruling party are mentioned in a network of alleged "bribes" connected to pharmaceutical laboratories and the drug distributor Suizo Argentina.

One of the released excerpts states: "They're stealing, you can play dumb, but don't put this burden on me. If there's any trouble and you don't protect me, I have all the WhatsApps." Although the full context is unknown, the recordings also describe how the percentages of contributions demanded from suppliers allegedly changed: "The people from Suizo call the other suppliers and tell them 'now it's no longer 5, now you have to put 8 (...) You have to bring it to Suizo and we'll take it up to the Presidency.'"

Despite the seriousness of the accusations, the government's response was immediate. With ANDIS now under the control of Minister Lugones, Casa Rosada seeks to dispel any doubts about its commitment to fighting corruption, even though the audio recordings may be used politically by the opposition.

It is worth recalling that Spagnuolo was one of Milei's trusted officials, with whom he worked as a lawyer on high-profile legal cases before his arrival to the presidency. As head of ANDIS, he had defended his administration by arguing that the agency was plagued by "fraudulent pensions", which drew criticism both in Congress and from sectors of civil society.