MiDire

The conflict between the US and Iran escalates to critical levels: the Secretary of War announces the "most intense day of attacks" on Iranian territory, while energy markets register their biggest rise since 2008 and Mojtaba Khamenei emerges as Iran's new supreme leader.

International oil markets recorded their biggest shock in almost two decades on Monday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude broke above the psychological barrier of $100 per barrel and reached as high as $120 during the weekly open, boosted by escalating military tensions in the Persian Gulf and the growing threat over the Strait of Hormuz.

North Sea Brent followed the same upward trend, accumulating an increase of more than 18% in just 72 hours. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan warn that, if an effective blockade of the strait is confirmed, the price of a barrel could climb to 150-180 dollars, with devastating consequences for the global economy.

"If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, our response will be 20 times more forceful than they have ever seen." — Donald Trump, President of the United States

The Strait of Hormuz is the most critical energy bottleneck on the planet: approximately 20% of the world's oil supply and 17% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) transit its barely 33 kilometers of navigable width daily. Its closure would mean an unprecedented modern energy shock.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense confirmed that Monday, March 10, would be the "most intense day of attacks" launched on Iranian territory since the start of hostilities. Military operations include bombing of nuclear and military infrastructure, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases and strategic logistics centers.

Pentagon sources indicated that more than 150 air missions were executed in the last 24 hours, involving B-2 Spirit bombers, F-35s and the use of Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from aircraft carriers positioned in the Arabian Sea. The operation has been dubbed "Operation Desert Shield II" internally.

Tel Aviv officially backed Washington's operations, while NATO expressed "concern" but avoided speaking out against the intervention. China and Russia convened an emergency session of the UN Security Council that was blocked by the US veto.

"This is the most dangerous moment for regional security since the 2003 Iraq war. The consequences are unpredictable." — Mark Milley, former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

At the heart of Iran's political-military chaos, one figure has emerged with unusual speed: Mojtaba Khamenei, youngest son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, consolidated as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the midst of the conflict.

The 55-year-old Mojtaba has been in the shadows of Iranian power for decades, building a network of loyalties within Qom's Revolutionary Guards and angry circles. His appointment was confirmed by the Council of Experts in an extraordinary session convened as a matter of urgency, in what analysts read as a sign that Iran's traditional leadership has suffered a severe impact.

Unlike his father, who is renowned for his strategic diplomacy and calculated patience, analysts describe Mojtaba as more combative and ideologically rigid. His first public statement was lapidary: "Iran will not back down from the crusaders of the 21st century."

"Mojtaba Khamenei represents a more radical generation within the Iranian system. His promotion could complicate any diplomatic solution." — Karim Sadjadpour, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The international community is watching the escalating spiral with growing alarm. The European Union issued a joint statement of the 27 member countries demanding "an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomacy", although without announcing concrete measures.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in a position of extremely delicate balance, declared neutrality but activated their air defence systems. Global stock markets are trading in risk-off mode: Wall Street fell 4.2%, while gold rose to $2,890 an ounce, its all-time high.

In Latin America, oil-importing countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Chile warned of the impact on their balances of payments, with fuel inflation projections that could exceed 40% in the next 90 days if the conflict drags on.

The scenarios being considered by the main international policy think tanks point to three possible paths in the short term:

1. Scenario 1 — Negotiated de-escalation: International pressure and the economic impact on the US itself (inflation, markets) force a tactical pause and indirect diplomatic channels are opened through Qatar or Turkey.

2. Scenario 2 — Regional escalation: Iran acts on the Strait of Hormuz partially or totally, dragging Hezbollah, Iraqi militias and Yemeni Houthis into the conflict. The price of the barrel exceeds 150 dollars.

3. Scenario 3 — Forced containment: The U.S. achieves its military objectives without provoking a strait-closure response; Mojtaba Khamenei agrees to negotiate from a weakened position. Oil retreats to $85-90.

#GuerraIranEEUU #PetroleoHoy #EstrChoOrmuz #TrumpIran #MojtabaJamenei #BreakingNews #MedioOriente2026 #CrisisEnergética #OilPrice #GeopoliticaGlobal #GuerraPersia #NotiicasInternacionales

Trump launched the "Shield of the Americas" with Milei in the front row: a military coalition against narco-terrorism and China

The U.S. president brought together 12 allied Latin American leaders in Miami to sign a regional military cooperation agreement. Argentina was the only country in Latin America to back the attacks on Iran.

Donald Trump brought together twelve Latin American leaders on Saturday at the Doral Hotel in Miami to announce the creation of the "Shield of the Americas," a regional geopolitical and military coalition aimed at combating drug trafficking, dismantling criminal cartels and containing China's commercial influence on the continent. Argentine President Javier Milei was in the front row, ratifying Buenos Aires' unconditional alignment with Washington.

The day began when after 9 a.m., local time, Trump received the twelve Latin American leaders at the Doral Hotel — which he owns — and posed together for the official photo of the summit. Milei, identified by alphabetical order, occupied a prominent place in the second row.

In his inaugural address, the U.S. president did not skimp on bellicose rhetoric. "The heart of our agreement is a commitment to use lethal military force to destroy sinister cartels and terrorist networks once and for all," he said. In addition, he announced the formation of the Anti-Cartel Coalition of the Americas, a military-oriented structure whose objective is to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating in the hemisphere.

Trump also took advantage of the stage to highlight his Argentine ally. Looking directly at Milei, he recalled his support during the October 2025 legislative elections: "He was a couple of points down, he went up like a rocket in Argentina," the Republican celebrated, in a reference to the favorable result obtained by La Libertad Avanza in the midterm elections.

The summit also formalized a larger geopolitical agenda: to curb China's expansion in Latin America. Washington sees President Xi Jinping as seeking to consolidate the region within its global supply chains, expanding its economic and political influence. However, the ongoing military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran shifted that axis to immediate security issues.

The alliance is made up of governments aligned with the regional right or center-right, all of them with close ties to the Trump administration:

The Argentine president arrived in Miami on Friday night and stayed at the Trump Doral hotel itself. He was accompanied by Karina Milei (Secretary General of the Presidency), Manuel Adorni (Chief of Staff) and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, who upon entering the summit hall held brief exchanges with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Upon taking the stage, Milei and Trump greeted each other with visible affection. Both posed with their thumbs up for photographers, in an image that has already become a recurring symbol of this alliance. The Argentine president began to listen to the speech without headphones for translation, although a few minutes later he put them on with the help of Quirno.

This ideological and strategic harmony with Washington is not new. From the beginning of his administration, Milei made alignment with Trump a central axis of his foreign policy. The Miami summit marks the president's 16th trip abroad since taking office, and strengthens that bond at a time of high international tension.

Although the summit was initially convened to counter China's influence, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran—which began a week earlier—dominated much of the agenda. Trump maintained that the Iranian conflict is not a matter alien to the American continent, and stressed that Iran maintains strategic ties with Cuba, Nicaragua and Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela.

"They are a cancer," Trump said, referring to criminal cartels and terrorist networks linked to Iran. He said recent military operations — including the downing of Iranian ships and communication systems — prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, calling the result "a fifteen on a scale of ten."

According to reports, at the close of the summit, the Latin American leaders held bilateral meetings with Rubio and Bessent, in which trade and security issues specific to each country were discussed. Argentina negotiated aspects related to the trade agreement signed with the U.S. in November 2025.

After the summit, Milei participated in a working lunch with Trump, in which the negotiations of the bilateral agreement signed in November 2025 were discussed. He then attended the award ceremony of the Hispanic Prosperity Gala, organized by Latino Wall Street, and left for New York.

The launch of the Shield of the Americas marks a turning point in Washington's foreign policy toward the region. From the start of his second term, Trump sought to consolidate an alliance architecture centered on conservative leaders who share his vision on security, migration and free markets, while diplomatically isolating leftist governments such as Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

For Argentina, the alignment has concrete consequences: greater access to international financial markets, political support for organizations such as the IMF and a privileged position in the new hemispheric geometry that Washington is designing. But it also entails costs: isolation within the Latin American region, tensions with traditional Mercosur partners and exposure to the ups and downs of Trump's foreign policy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to travel to Buenos Aires in the coming days to meet with Milei and Foreign Minister Quirno, in what would be the highest-ranking visit of the U.S. government to Argentina since Milei took office.

📌 Sources: La Nación, Infobae, Perfil, Ambito Financiero, CNN en Español, France 24, Al Jazeera and Office of the President of Argentina (@OPRArgentina).

Milei enacted Decree 137/2026 and puts into effect the most profound reform of the labor market in three decades. The CGT reacted immediately with a judicial injunction.

⏱ Reading time: approx. 8 minutes • 🗓️ March 6, 2026 • 📰 Sources: Infobae, La Nación, Ámbito , Perfil, TN

A few hours before dawn on Friday, March 6, when most Argentines were still asleep, the Official Gazette published Decree 137/2026: the enactment of Law No. 27,802, called the Labor Modernization Law. With the signatures of President Javier Milei, Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni and Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello, the government consummated what it considers its biggest legislative victory since arriving at the Casa Rosada. In less than twelve hours, the trade union world responded with its own weapons: a judicial injunction.

The history of this law began months before its publication. The Executive Branch sent the bill to Congress during the extraordinary sessions convened by President Milei, within the framework of a legislative agenda of the highest priority for the Government. The Chamber of Senators granted half sanction on February 12, but the rule returned to the floor after Deputies eliminated Article 44 of the original text – referring to medical leaves – one of the most sensitive points of the debate.

On February 27, the Senate gave final approval with 42 affirmative votes, 28 negative and 2 abstentions. Exactly a week later, in the early hours of Friday morning, the Executive completed the cycle with the enactment. According to the text of the decree: "In use of the powers conferred by Article 78 of the National Constitution, Law No. 27,802 sanctioned by the Honorable Congress of the Nation in its session of February 27, 2026 is promulgated."

"It is the government's biggest legislative victory since it came to power. The Argentine labor market is changing today in a structural way."

For the ruling party, the law represents the end of a cycle: the end of a labor model that they consider obsolete, litigious and discourages investment. For the unions and part of the opposition, on the other hand, it is a historic setback in the rights acquired by workers.

The law introduces profound modifications in several pillars of Argentine labor law. Here are the central points:

The calculation of compensation for dismissal without cause will no longer include the Christmas bonus, vacations or awards: only the monthly, normal and customary remuneration will be considered. In addition, compensation becomes the only economic compensation for the dismissal. The update of labor credits will be calculated by CPI plus 3% per year.

A fund financed with monthly contributions from employers is created: 1% for large companies and 2.5% for SMEs. Its purpose is to cover the costs of dismissal. It will come into force on June 1, 2026 and will only respond after receiving at least six monthly contributions. It will not apply to unregistered workers.

The penalties of Law 24.013 are eliminated for cases of undeclared employment or deficient registration. Instead, an incentive scheme is implemented: employers who regularize workers will not pay fines, although they will have to pay salary and social security differences. The Program for the Promotion of Registered Employment provides for the forgiveness of up to 70% of contribution debts.

In activities declared an "essential service" – health, drinking water, telecommunications, aeronautics, port control – 75% of the personnel on active duty must be guaranteed during industrial action. In "transcendental" services, the floor is 50%. Active participation in blockades or occupations of establishments is established as grounds for dismissal with just cause.

Collective agreements of a larger scope may not modify the content of agreements of a lesser scope, decentralizing negotiation and reducing the weight of national unions. Automatic ultra-activity is eliminated: expired agreements will no longer be in force indefinitely, forcing a new negotiation from scratch. Employers may no longer act as agents for withholding union dues without the express authorization of the worker.

The law explicitly incorporates "independent workers and their collaborators" and "independent providers of technological platforms" among those excluded from the regime of the Employment Contract Law, clarifying that this relationship does not imply subordination or labor dependence.

Just hours after the publication in the Official Gazette, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) filed an action for judicial protection. The presentation, signed by the leadership triumvirate made up of Octavio Argüello, Jorge Solá and Cristían Jerónimo, was drawn to the Federal Administrative Court No. 7, in charge of Judge Enrique Lavié Pico.

The amparo does not attack the entire reform. In a strategic move, the labor federation concentrated its first proposal exclusively on articles 90 and 91 of the law, which regulate the transfer of the national labor jurisdiction to the orbit of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA). The CGT requested a precautionary measure of "not innovating" that immediately suspends the operation of these articles.

"The transfer implies the closure of 30 labor courts and Chamber VII of the National Court of Appeals. It is a judicial collapse foretold."

According to the argument of the labor federation, the transfer of labor jurisdiction to the City violates current constitutional requirements for this type of transfer – a warning that had even been made public by Vice President Victoria Villarruel during the parliamentary debate. In addition, the transfer agreement was enabled by Decree 95/2026, which authorized the Chief of Cabinet Manuel Adorni to sign it without the intervention of the Bicameral Commission.

For the CGT, the operational background is also critical: the closure of 30 courts of first instance and Chamber VII of the National Chamber of Labor Appeals (CNAT) would affect thousands of cases in process and would generate uncertainty about the labor and pension situation of employees and judicial officials.

The first amparo is not the only front. The CGT has already announced that it will present a second precautionary measure in the labor jurisdiction and will promote individual actions by different unions. The choice of the contentious jurisdiction for the first amparo – instead of the labor one – responds to a strategic calculation: the legal team of the CGT, advised by constitutionalists such as Alberto García Lema, issues that the national labor courts can act with caution in the face of the prospect of being under the Buenos Aires orbit.

The CGT maintains that the reform violates Article 14 bis of the National Constitution in its fundamental rights: protection against arbitrary dismissal, the right to strike, collective bargaining, freedom of association and social security. The union also invokes the principle of progressivity and the principle of protection of labor law, supported by the Pact of San José de Costa Rica.

The closest precedent dates from the end of 2023, when labor judge Liliana Rodríguez Fernández declared the invalidity of six articles of DNU 70/2023. However, there is a substantial difference: in that case it was a decree of necessity and urgency; now it is a law sanctioned by Congress, which gives it greater institutional weight and complicates the judicial scenario for challengers.

Far from being surprised, the Executive was waiting for the judicial reaction. Weeks before the enactment, the Casa Rosada already had outlined a legal team to defend the law in court. The new Attorney General of the National Treasury, Sebastián Amerio – appointed on the same day of the enactment – will be in charge of representing the State in the cases.

The government plans to appeal in all possible instances and even anticipates that the dispute will reach the Supreme Court in the medium term. The new Minister of Justice, Juan Bautista Mahiques, remarked that the labor reform is "an issue of special priority for the President" and that the legal process will be defended with full institutional convocation.

Balcarce 50 argues that the CGT would not have active legitimacy to question institutional aspects of the redesign of the labor judicial system, and that the precedents of the Supreme Court endorse previous reorganizations of the labor jurisdiction in CABA. In addition, they point out that, unlike DNU 70/2023, the new rule enjoys the support of the parliamentary vote.

The reactions were not limited to the union level. The Association of Magistrates and Officials of the National Justice (AMFJN) expressed formal objections about the way in which the law was treated in Congress, especially with respect to the transfer of jurisdiction. From the government of Jorge Macri in the City, on the other hand, they expressed their intention that the transition of the labor jurisdiction be carried out in an orderly manner.

On the academic level, labor lawyer Lucas Battiston summarized the paradox of the law: the so-called Labor Modernization Law tries to regulate the work of the 21st century with conceptual categories typical of the 20th century. For specialists in the technology sector, such as SkyOnline CEO Rafael Ibáñez, the integration of artificial intelligence into the workplace will require more ambitious regulatory frameworks than those now enacted.

"The law is born old. It regulates work in the 21st century with categories of the 20th century."

"The dispute does not end in the Official Gazette. It is just beginning in the courts. The battle for the future of Argentine work will be fought, once again, in the corridors of the Courts."

⚖️ LAW 27.802 — ARGENTINE LABOR REFORM • Decree 137/2026 • Sources: Infobae, La Nación, Scope, Profile, Conclusion

Juan Bautista Mahiques, attorney general of the City, replaces Cúneo Libarona with an urgent agenda: to unblock more than 200 paralyzed judicial documents, the two vacancies in the Supreme Court and the expansion of the accusatory system. Her appointment consolidates the power of the Secretary General of the Presidency over the portfolio and resigns ground to Santiago Caputo.

⏱ Reading Time: 7–9 minutes | ✍ Writing: Politics and Justice | 🗞 Sources: La Nación · Infobae · Profile · Scope · Chronicler

In a move that reorders the government's internal power board, Javier Milei made official this week the most awaited change in his cabinet: Mariano Cúneo Libarona left the Ministry of Justice after more than two years in office, and Juan Bautista Mahiques – attorney general of the City of Buenos Aires – took office through Decree 133/2026. published in the Official Gazette. With him also came Santiago Viola, national representative of La Libertad Avanza, as the new Secretary of Justice. The combination concentrates Karina Milei's files in a single ministry and distances Santiago Caputo's influence from a portfolio that handles the most sensitive judicial cases in the country.

The resignation of Mariano Cúneo Libarona was not a surprise. The former minister had submitted his resignation on October 23, 2025, but Karina Milei asked him to remain in office until she herself chose his successor. The deadline he set: March 2026, once the extraordinary sessions of Congress have concluded. During those months, rumors about possible replacements multiplied, with names ranging from Buenos Aires Senator Guillermo Montenegro — favorite candidate of advisor Santiago Caputo — to Mahiques himself.

The outcome took place on March 4: a meeting at the Quinta de Olivos that included Cúneo Libarona, Karina Milei and, at the last minute, the chief of staff Manuel Adorni, defined the terms of the transition. Milei announced the change on his social networks that same day. At noon on March 5, Mahiques was sworn in before the President in the White Room of the Casa Rosada, in a ceremony that for him had a historic character: it was the first time he had met face to face with Javier Milei.

"Juan Bautista is going to be the eyes and body of the Government in all Justice. From now on he responds 100% to it."

Born in the Buenos Aires district of Mercedes 45 years ago, Juan Bautista Mahiques is part of what is known in the judicial corridors as a "family of courts." His father, Carlos Mahiques, is a chambermaid of Chamber I of the Federal Court of Criminal Cassation; his brother Ignacio serves as a Buenos Aires prosecutor and was deputy in the Vialidad case against Cristina Kirchner; his brother Esteban is general director of Institutional Relations of the Foreign Ministry and was a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the AFA.

The new minister is a lawyer graduated from the UBA and has a master's degree in Administration of Justice from the Unitelma Sapienza in Rome. He got his first job in the Judiciary when he was just 20 years old. Since 2019 he has held the head of the Public Prosecutor's Office of the City of Buenos Aires – head of all Buenos Aires prosecutors – a position he reached with the impetus of Daniel Angelici, Macrista operator and former president of Boca Juniors. At the same time, he has chaired the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) since 2022, a position for which he was re-elected in April 2025, and since 2024 he has been rector of the University Institute of Security of the City.

His link with power has multiple layers: during the government of Mauricio Macri he was representative of the Executive Branch before the Council of the Magistracy and Undersecretary of Penitentiary Affairs and Relations with the Judiciary, two positions from which he exercised direct influence on the appointment of national and federal judges. The contact with the Milei universe began just four months before his appointment, mediated by cousins Eduardo "Lule" Menem and Martín Menem, along with Santiago Viola. Karina Milei studied it, evaluated it and concluded that it met the conditions she was looking for.

The appointment of Mahiques was not only a technical change: it was the expression of a power struggle within the libertarian government. Santiago Caputo — the president's star adviser, known in journalistic circles as "the Kremlin's magician" — had been controlling the Justice portfolio through Sebastián Amerio, the outgoing secretary who responded to his agenda. With the arrival of Mahiques and, above all, with the installation of Santiago Viola as secretary, Caputo loses a key link: the man who operated in the Council of the Magistracy and monitored sensitive cases such as those linked to the $LIBRA case and the ANDIS scandal.

In the sector close to Caputo, they interpret the movement as a defeat against the Secretary General of the Presidency. Amerio himself learned of the change in the middle of a meeting in the Council of the Magistracy and had to leave before concluding it. According to reports, until the last moment he resisted the order to leave his office. Mahiques' gestures in his first public message – explicitly thanking Karina Milei for "her permanent support" and "the dedication with which she leads the government's political team" – was read in all sectors as an unequivocal declaration of alignment.

"I assume this function with the conviction that without legal certainty there is no investment, without stable rules there is no development and without independent judges there is no Republic."

— John Baptist Mahiques in his first message as appointed minister (X, 3/4/2026)

If there is one piece of information that defines the magnitude of the challenge that Mahiques inherits, it is this: the Executive Branch has in its possession the lists of 209 judges from shortlists that have already been sent to it by the Council of the Magistracy, and none were sent to the Senate. The paralysis in judicial appointments caused approximately 40% of the positions in the federal and national justice system to operate with subrogations or interim positions, a situation that the Supreme Court magistrates themselves describe as critical.

The strategy that Mahiques has outlined is pragmatic: start with the simplest lists to negotiate – the family privileges and those without political tension – and gradually move towards those of greater complexity. "The priority is to comply with the coverage of vacancies so that Justice begins to function. We'll start with what's easiest to negotiate. There are other courts that have a more sophisticated thread," said an unobjectionable source familiar with his plans.

As for the Supreme Court, the picture is different. The government's attempt to incorporate Ariel Lijo and Manuel García-Mansilla failed miserably: Lijo's list was rejected and García-Mansilla, who took office by presidential decree, ended up resigning after the Senate's adverse vote. This time, the Casa Rosada opts for caution: vacancies on the highest court will not be an immediate priority. "If the Court did not make any counterproductive measures against us, why wear down the negotiation when we can move forward in the thick of it?" they reason in the official environment.

Mahiques' second major priority is to extend the Federal Criminal Procedure Code – the so-called accusatory system – to the rest of the country. The model already works in Salta, Jujuy, Santa Fe, Mar del Plata and Mendoza, among other districts. On November 11, 2026, Comodoro Py, the federal jurisdiction of the City of Buenos Aires, headquarters of the most politically sensitive judicial cases in the country, is scheduled to join. Implementation requires judges, prosecutors and defenders appointed in a timely manner – which makes the plan of indictments and that of the accusatory system two sides of the same coin.

On his last day at the head of the Buenos Aires Public Prosecutor's Office, Mahiques signed the creation of seven new prosecutors' offices to investigate complex crimes, raising the number of prosecutors' offices of first instance from 40 to 46. The decision – specifically aimed at urban drug crime and the crimes of corruption of Buenos Aires officials – can be read as a letter of introduction to the management style that he intends to take to the national level.

No profile of Mahiques can avoid the episode that marked his career in 2022: the trip to Lago Escondido, the Patagonian ranch of British tycoon Joe Lewis, where Mahiques himself, his father Judge Carlos Mahiques, Federal Judge Julián Ercolini, the then Buenos Aires Minister of Security Marcelo D'Alessandro, attended – with all expenses paid – directors of the Clarín Group and a former SIDE agent, among others.

The leak of chats from the Telegram group in which some of the attendees participated set off public alarm. According to the transcripts, it was Mahiques himself who would have proposed to manage an invoice to cover up the financing of the trip: "We could find out the issue of a little bill. I don't think it's necessary...", he was heard saying in an audio. The judicial investigation resulted in complaints of alleged gifts and breach of duties of a public official. In December 2023, the Federal Court of Bariloche dismissed all those involved on the grounds that there was no configured crime.

The episode did not stop his career, but he remains an obligatory reference for the political opposition and human rights organizations that question his independence. Cristina Kirchner linked him at the time to judicial pressure against her during Macri's administration, an accusation that Mahiques always rejected.

Rarely in recent history has the identity of the Minister of Justice had such immediate relevance. The government faces several simultaneous judicial fronts: the $LIBRA case – which investigates the cryptocurrency scandal linked to Milei – the ANDIS case, and the constant pressure of the cases inherited from previous administrations. Mahiques comes to office with the explicit mandate of being "the eyes of the Government in Courts", a function that goes far beyond the bureaucratic administration of a portfolio.

In addition, the year 2027 brings presidential elections, and the battle for the federal courts – which in the words of the libertarian environment itself are "those who decide whether one goes to prison or not" – acquires a strategic dimension that transcends the institutional. The arrival of Viola as Secretary of Justice, with his ties in the Senate and in the arc of traditional politics, seeks to oil precisely that legislative mechanism that determines who occupies each judicial office in the country.

The arrival of Mahiques to the Ministry of Justice is much more than a change of names. It is the clearest sign so far that Karina Milei not only does not retreat in her advance on the architecture of government power, but accelerates. With one man of its own in the chair of Justice and another in the secretariat, the "Karinist" wing of the government now controls the lever that moves 200 judges and prosecutors, access to the Council of the Magistracy and the pulse of the most incandescent judicial cases in the country. The question that no one in the Courts ends up answering is whether Mahiques will achieve what his predecessor could not: transform the accumulated lists into real appointments, before the 2027 electoral calendar turns everything into a bargaining chip.

• 10/23/2025 — Cúneo Libarona presents formal resignation; Karina Milei asks him to stay until March.

• Dec. 2025 / Jan. 2026 — First contacts reserved between Mahiques and Karina Milei; nexus: cousins Menem and Santiago Viola.

• 04/03/2026 — Meeting in Olivos; Milei announces the change in X. Amerio finds out in the middle of a session of the Council of the Magistracy.

• 05/03/2026 — Decree 133/2026 in the Official Gazette. Mahiques is sworn in at noon in the White Room. Viola takes over as secretary.

• Next steps — Negotiation of lists with the Senate; expansion of the accusatory system; decision on vacancies in the Court.

• La Nación — "Juan Bautista Mahiques is the new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

• Infobae — "Who is Juan Bautista Mahiques, the new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

• Profile — "Official Gazette: Mahiques was confirmed as Minister of Justice", 5/3/2026

• Profile — "His links with Mauricio Macri, Chiqui Tapia and Pablo Toviggino", 4/3/2026

• El Cronista — "Mahiques disembarks in Justice and prepares his action plan", 4/3/2026

• El Destape Web — "Judicial Family, Macrism and the Lago Escondido Plot", 4/3/2026

• elDiarioAR — "Juan Bautista Mahiques will be the new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

🕒	Publication date	Tuesday, March 10, 2026 — 08:45 AM (GMT-3)
⏱	Reading Time	Approximately 6-8 minutes
📝	Author	International Editorial Staff — Geopolitics Desk
🌏	Sources	Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Bloomberg
🔍	SEO Keywords	war Iran, oil $120, Trump threatens, Strait of Hormuz, Mokhtaba Khamenei

🛢️	WTI Oil Price	$119.80 USD/barrel (weekly peak)
⚔️	U.S. Air Missions	+150 in the last 24 hours over Iran
🚢	Strait of Hormuz Traffic News	20% of the world's oil supply
📉	Wall Street Crash	-4.2% at Monday's open
🎟️	Gold Price	$2,890/oz (all-time high)
🇮🇷	New leader Iran	Mojtaba Khamenei — 55 years old
🌏	UN veto	U.S. blocks emergency session of the Security Council

Sun. 8/3	🕍 Visit to the tomb of Rebbe Lubavitch, New York.
Mon. 9/3	🎓 Dissertation at Yeshiva University. Evening: The Algemeiner's Annual J100 Gala.
Mar. 10/3	💼 Meeting with Jamie Dimon (JPMorgan) · Opening of Argentina Week 2026 with +300 entrepreneurs.
Wed. 11/3	🇨🇱 Santiago de Chile: Attendance at the inauguration of José Antonio Kast as president of Chile.

📅 Date of Enactment	March 6, 2026
📋 Law number	Law No. 27.802
📜 Promulgating Decree	Decree 137/2026 — Official Gazette
👥 Signatures	Milei / Adorni / Pettovello
🗽 Approval in the Senate	February 27, 2026 — 42 votes for, 28 against
⚖️ CGT Amparo	Contentious Court Adm. Fed. No. 7 — Judge Lavié Pico

🌍 War in the Middle East: Oil Tops $120 and Trump Threatens "20 Times Stronger" Attack