Although the appointment of Diego Santilli as Minister of the Interior has not yet been formalized, the PRO leader has already begun to operate in that capacity. In his first round of meetings with governors, Catamarca native Raúl Jalil will be one of the main figures, along with Chubut's Ignacio "Nacho" Torres.
The meeting will take place at Casa Rosada, where Santilli will seek to build bridges with both allied and opposition governors in order to garner support for the reforms promoted by President Javier Milei.
Jalil prioritizes the continuity of public works and national funding
According to sources close to the governor, Jalil will attend the meeting with an agenda focused on the continuity of public works and the need for national funding, issues that were put on hold after the cuts implemented in the first half of the year.
The Peronist governor, who keeps a proper institutional relationship with the libertarian administration, aims to consolidate a "pragmatic" cooperation framework that will allow energy, mining, and road projects to continue in the province.
Santilli's strategy: rebuilding the relationship with the provinces
The meeting is part of the new phase of federal dialogue that Santilli intends to lead from the Interior Ministry. His goal is to restore the relationship with the governors and address the demands for funds and projects that remained unsolved after Lisandro Catalán's departure.
"Allies aren't asking for symbolic gestures, they want concrete answers", those close to the new minister emphasize, who has already held meetings with Karina Milei to coordinate the joint work agenda.
Catamarca seeks to remain within the dialogue circle
The national government acknowledges that the relationship with the governors who supported the May Pact will be a priority. However, Jalil seeks to maintain a direct line of communication with Casa Rosada, with the aim of preserving institutional dialogue and ensuring that Catamarca is not left behind in the allocation of resources. The provincial governor, who has avoided public confrontations with Milei, is committed to maintaining a relationship of political cooperation and management.
Jalil, a dialogue-oriented Peronist in the new political era
With his sights set on the 2026 Budget and the reform agenda that the Executive plans to send to Congress, Raúl Jalil seeks to ensure that Catamarca keeps an active role in federal negotiations. His meeting with Santilli will be decisive in defining the tone of the relationship between the libertarian government and the Peronist governors who choose dialogue over confrontation, in a context where figures such as Axel Kicillof or Ricardo Quintela have fallen off Casa Rosada's radar.
