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Highway Case: Justice orders the confiscation of assets of Cristina Kirchner and the other convicted

⚖️ Highway Case: Justice orders the confiscation of assets of Cristina Kirchner and the other convicted

In an unprecedented ruling that marks a milestone in the recovery of assets from corruption, the Court determined the beginning of the execution of assets of the main convicts in the so-called Highway Case. The measure seeks to cover the economic damage against the National State, estimated at billions of pesos.

The judicial decision instructs the corresponding agencies to identify, appraise and execute the assets of those found guilty of fraudulent administration. Among those affected by the measure are former Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, businessman Lázaro Báez and former officials of the Public Works portfolio.

The ruling stresses that the confiscation is not only an accessory sanction, but a restorative justice tool necessary to correct the diversion of public funds that should have been allocated to road infrastructure in the province of Santa Cruz.

Justice has set its sights on a complex web of properties and values that include:

"The execution of these assets represents a fundamental step in the fight against financial impunity," said judicial sources close to the process.

The technical breakdown of the assets ordered for confiscation by the Federal Court of Criminal Cassation amounts to a record figure of $684,990,350,139.86 (approximately 537 million dollars). According to the latest expert report and the judicial resolution of April 2026, the auction will affect a total of 111 properties and various financial assets distributed among the main convicts.

TWO YEARS OF RESISTANCE: THE ARGENTINE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY RETURNS TO THE STREETS

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Marcha_Federal_Universitaria_-_23A_-_Argentina_%282024%29.jpg/1200px-Marcha_Federal_Universitaria_-_23A_-_Argentina_%282024%29.jpg

▲ Federal University March on April 23, 2024. More than 430,000 people throughout the country. Source: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

This April 23 marks exactly two years since the first Federal University March, that mobilization that brought together approximately 430,000 people throughout the Argentine territory and that forced the government of President Javier Milei to sit down to dialogue with rectors, unions and students. It was an unprecedented postcard in the country's recent history: faculties in the dark, classrooms empty, and hundreds of thousands of citizens marching in defense of free, public higher education.

Two years later, the conflict was not only not resolved, but deepened. May 12, 2026 will be the date of the fourth federal march, jointly convened by the National Interuniversity Council (CIN), the Trade Union Front of National Universities and the Argentine University Federation (FUA), under the slogan: "Federal march for education, the public university and national science".

The data speak for themselves and are as forceful as they are alarming. According to the CIN, fund transfers to public universities fell by 45.6% since 2023 in real terms. Teaching and non-teaching salaries, which represent 90% of the university budget, have accumulated a loss of between 30% and 50% of purchasing power since November 2023, when Milei won the presidential runoff.

"Salaries are the lowest in 40 years," said Clara Chevalier, secretary general of Conadu. For its part, the Federation of University Teachers (Fedun) reported that the sector's revenues have been falling in real terms for 17 consecutive months. In March 2026, while official inflation was 3.4%, the government ordered a wage increase of 1.7% – exactly half of what is needed to maintain purchasing power.

Added to this is the collapse of Progresar student scholarships: according to the National Economy Research Center (CIEN), between 2023 and 2025 the number of beneficiaries fell by 62.4%, while the purchasing power of each scholarship fell by 46.5%. To return to December 2023 levels, investment in this area should grow by 63%.

At the center of the conflict is the University Financing Law No. 27,795, sanctioned by the National Congress on August 22, 2024. The regulation establishes the monthly update for inflation of the salary and operating expenses of national state universities, and implies a 51% increase for teachers and non-teachers in order to recover what has been lost since December 2023.

The Executive Branch vetoed the law in October 2024, which triggered the second federal march. In an unprecedented legislative maneuver, Congress rejected the veto in December. However, the government enacted the rule without implementing it, citing "lack of funds." The answer came from the Courts: on December 23, 2025, the judge of first instance Martín Cormick ordered immediate compliance with articles 5 and 6 of the law, referring to salary and scholarship updates. The State appealed the measure.

On March 31, 2026, Chamber III of the National Court of Appeals in Federal Administrative Litigation confirmed the ruling of the first instance and ratified the precautionary measure in favor of the universities. The sentence was signed by judges Sergio Gustavo Fernández and Jorge Eduardo Morán. Even so, the government maintains the non-compliance.

Rectors, unions and students speak with a common voice, although from different positions. From the CIN, the organization that brings together rectors from all over the country, Rector Bartolacci summarized the collective feeling: "We are all aware of the economic situation of the country and that there are many sectors that are having a very bad time. But we are demanding a decent salary for those who have the responsibility of training the future generations of professionals that Argentina needs."

On the union front, Patricio Grande, professor at the National University of Luján and member of the executive board of Conadu Histórica, explained the wage urgency: to recover the purchasing power of December 2023, workers should receive more than a 50% increase. On the other hand, the general secretary of Fedun, Daniel Ricci, expanded the call for the march: he asked that it not only be from the university sector, but that it convene the whole of society.

From the student sector, Joaquín Carvalho, president of the FUA and student at the National University of Rosario, warned: "The government does not respond to the need to invest in education, and is pushing the situation towards a scenario of great conflict." Carvalho stressed that the bloc between rectors, unions and students remains solid.

In the weeks leading up to the new march, different faculties throughout the country implemented a new form of protest called "Japanese-style strike": instead of being absent, teaching and non-teaching workers set up free health care posts at the doors of the faculties. In the City of Buenos Aires, thousands of people received dental care, dental prostheses were made, glasses were distributed and blood tests were performed. In addition, 500 pets were cared for by university veterinarians.

In response to the complaints, the Executive proposed in February 2026 an alternative project that does not repeal Law No. 27,795 but modifies its central points. The official text offers an increase of 12.3% in three installments (March, July and September), well below the 51% established by the current law. In addition, it contemplates the updating of operating expenses only if inflation exceeds 14.5%, without recognizing the losses accumulated during 2024.

The proposal was flatly rejected by the university system, and at the close of this edition it had no date for parliamentary treatment. Rector Olmedo, from the National University of Formosa, summarized the situation: "They are reaching a peak where many universities no longer want to open the Faculties because the budget is not updated."

🏛️ NATIONAL POLICY | ⏱️ Estimated reading time: 6 minutes (~1,100 words)

Electoral Reform in Argentina: Milei promotes the elimination of the PASO, Clean Record and changes in party financing

President Javier Milei announced from Israel that he was sending to Congress a bill that could radically redesign the rules of the democratic game before the 2027 legislative elections

Photo caption: President Javier Milei announced the electoral reform from Israel, where he participated in the Israeli Independence Day event with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Buenos Aires, April 22, 2026. — President Javier Milei shook the political chessboard on Tuesday by announcing, through a message published on the social network X from Israel, the immediate sending to the National Congress of a comprehensive electoral reform project. The initiative contemplates three backbones: the definitive elimination of the Primary, Open, Simultaneous and Mandatory (PASO); a reformulation of the system of financing political parties; and the reinstatement of the figure of Clean Record – already rejected by the Senate in May 2025 – to prevent people convicted of corruption from accessing national elective positions.

The announcement came as Milei was closing his third trip to Israel, where he participated in the celebrations for the anniversary of that state's independence and was seen with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president sang the song "Libre", by Nino Bravo, before a crowd that cheered him, on a day that also marked a strong sign of foreign policy.

📌 Context: What are the PASO and why does Milei seek to eliminate them?

The Open, Simultaneous and Mandatory Primaries were created in 2009, during the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, through Law No. 26,571. Since then, they have been held on the third Sunday of August of each election year and enable all citizens – regardless of their affiliation – to participate in the internal selection of candidates of each political force.

Its operation fulfills three central functions: to order the internal competition of the parties, to enable competition between lists within the same force and to act as an electoral filter prior to the general election. However, the system is subject to sustained criticism of the cost to the public treasury of organizing an additional election whose result, in many cases, does not define truly competitive candidates.

During the 2025 legislative elections, Milei's government managed to suspend the PASO through a measure approved in the Senate on February 20 of that year. Now, the Executive is going a step further and proposing its permanent elimination from the Argentine electoral system.

💰 The debate over political financing

The second axis of the reform aims to transform the structure of economic support of party activity. The current system contemplates public financing for campaigns, free spaces for electoral advertising and ordinary operation of the parties, complemented by private contributions with regulated ceilings.

The proposal of the Executive Branch seeks to reduce the weight of the State in this scheme, in line with the cut in public spending that constitutes the core of the economic policy of the libertarian administration. If the change prospers, financing would tend to move to private sources or internal resources of each force, with a direct impact on the campaign structure and party organization, especially for the smaller parties.

🧾 Clean Record: a battle that the ruling party wants to reopen

The Clean Record initiative — which would prevent those convicted in the second instance from running for national elective office — has a recent and controversial legislative history. The bill obtained half approval in the Chamber of Deputies, but was rejected in the Senate in May 2025 in an extremely close vote.

The defeat in the upper house was marked by the vote of the missionary senators of the Renewal, Carlos Arce and Sonia Rojas Decut, whose position ended up tipping the balance against the ruling party. The law, if approved, would have left former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, convicted in the second instance in corruption cases, out of competence.

Now, the Casa Rosada is relaunching the proposal, but this time integrated into the broader electoral reform package, with the expectation that the political momentum and the pre-electoral context of 2027 will generate more favorable conditions for its approval.

🗣️ Political reactions

From the ruling bloc, Deputy Lilia Lemoine was one of the first to come out to defend the initiative on social networks: "The vote of each deputy and each senator in this project will be very revealing. Those who oppose it will make it clear that they see politics as a business," he said.

The Secretary of Communication, Javier Lanari, was in the same vein: "No good political party can oppose this agenda," he said, aiming to install a political cost for those who reject the reform.

However, in the corridors of Congress the panorama is more complex. Parliamentary sources from the PRO and the UCR expressed reservations regarding the elimination of the PASO, arguing that the mechanism, despite its costs, allows them to resolve their internal conflicts and legitimize themselves in the eyes of the electorate. "If we go together in Buenos Aires, we will have to resolve it this way or Karina (Milei) will come and want to impose the candidate on us," said a radical legislator off the record.

In the entourage of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, it was learned that the deputy from La Rioja had asked the Casa Rosada to delay sending the bill until he was certain about the votes necessary to approve it. Milei's own early announcement from Israel ended that possibility.

🔮 Perspectives: What can happen in Congress?

The formal submission of the bill opens a stage of intense negotiation in Congress. The ruling party knows that it faces two simultaneous fronts: the resistance of its own allies – PRO and radicalism – to the elimination of the PASO, and the need to recompose the support that was lacking to approve Ficha Limpia last year.

Political analysts consulted by this newspaper agree that the legislative treatment is unlikely to take place before the second half of the year, considering that in the first half of the year the focus will be on the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and that the proximity to the electoral calendar will condition the willingness of the blocs to vote on structural changes.

The government's bet seems to be long-term: to install public debate, make visible the position of each legislator and build political capital for 2027. "Impunity is over. The is over," Milei repeated, making it clear that the axis of the upcoming campaign already has a name.

🔗 Sources and references

More than five years after the death of Argentina's greatest football idol, the country's justice system made a second attempt to answer the question that divides a nation: did Diego Maradona die of natural causes, or was he abandoned by the very people paid to keep him alive?

Defendants charged

120

Witnesses expected

8–25

Years in prison if convicted

2nd

Trial (first was annulled)

⚖️A historic second trial begins

On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the courts of San Isidro — in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area — opened their doors to a trial Argentina had been waiting for since the first proceedings collapsed in scandal nearly a year earlier. Seven healthcare professionals once again took their seats before the Oral Criminal Court No. 7 to answer for the death of Diego Armando Maradona, which occurred on November 25, 2020.

The courtroom was packed. Outside, some fifty people carrying Argentine flags and signs demanded "Justice for D10S" — a play on Maradona's iconic No. 10 jersey and "Dios," the Spanish word for God. Inside, daughters Dalma, Gianinna, and Jana Maradona, together with former partner Verónica Ojeda, watched from the front row as proceedings began in what promises to be the final act of a legal saga without precedent in football history.

"Diego Maradona began to die 12 hours before his actual death. Anyone who had thought to transfer him to a clinic in a car or ambulance during his final week would have saved his life."
— Patricio Ferrari, lead prosecutor

👥The seven defendants: who they are

All seven face charges of homicide with eventual intent (homicidio simple con dolo eventual) — the legal concept that applies when someone pursues a course of action knowing it could result in another person's death. All have declared themselves innocent and remain free pending the verdict.

Leopoldo Luque

🧠 Neurosurgeon · Personal physician

Agustina Cosachov

🩺 Treating psychiatrist

Carlos Díaz

🧠 Psychologist · Addiction treatment

Ricardo Omar Almirón

💉 Nurse

Mariano Perroni

👨‍⚕️ Nursing coordinator

Nancy Edith Forlini

📋 Medical coordinator (insurance)

Pedro Di Spagna

🩺 General practitioner

ℹ️

Eighth defendant: Nurse Dahiana Madrid requested a jury trial and will be tried in a separate proceeding whose date has not yet been set.

📋The prosecution: "a diabolical environment"

Lead prosecutor Patricio Ferrari pulled no punches in his opening statement. He described the medical team as "a bunch of amateurs" who committed "all kinds of omissions" and created what he called "cruel" conditions for their patient. According to the prosecution, Maradona was in agony for at least 12 hours with no one making the decision to transfer him to a hospital.

Plaintiff attorney Fernando Burlando, representing daughters Dalma and Gianinna, went further still: "Diego Armando Maradona was murdered." Burlando argued that during Maradona's home convalescence at the San Andrés gated community in Tigre, the icon was "surrounded by strangers" and that between November 11 and 25, 2020, "no one ever listened to Maradona's heart." Attorney Pablo Jurado, representing Maradona's sisters, called it "the chronicle of a death foretold."

Stadium named after Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata, Argentina

📷 The stadium in La Plata, renamed in honour of the football legend. Archive image.

🛡️The defence: "he died of a heart attack"

Defence lawyers categorically rejected the charges. Francisco Oneto, defending neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, announced that the trial would prove Maradona died of a heart attack stemming from his pre-existing medical conditions, and not from medical negligence.

Vadim Mischanchuk, lawyer for psychiatrist Cosachov, pointed to Maradona himself: "Diego had a determining role in decisions about his own health." He stressed that there was no "criminal plan" to cause his death. Roberto Rallín, another of Luque's attorneys, went as far as claiming that if Maradona were alive today, he "would ask that they not be convicted."

"If there is one thing that has been definitively ruled out, it is a deliberate criminal plan to kill Maradona."
— Vadim Mischanchuk, defence attorney for Agustina Cosachov

📰Why a second trial? The documentary scandal explained

To understand why this is a second trial, one must go back to May 2025. The first proceedings, which had accumulated more than 20 hearings and 44 witness testimonies over nearly three months, were declared null and void following an unprecedented scandal.

Judge Julieta Makintach, one of the three magistrates presiding over the case, was found to have taken part in an unauthorized documentary about the trial, tentatively titled "Divine Justice" (Justicia Divina). Footage showed the judge walking through courthouse corridors with electronic music playing in the background, before being interviewed at her desk — all filmed using cameras that had been secretly smuggled into the hearings.

The scandal led to Makintach's removal from office following impeachment proceedings in November 2025. Everything that had been done in the first trial was annulled. Zero. Back to square one. Argentina had to start again.

⚠️

Institutional impact: The annulment invalidated 20 hearings and 44 testimonies, including emotional statements from Maradona's children. Defence lawyers argue their clients are being "prosecuted twice for the same cause."

🕐Timeline of the case

⚽

November 2020

Diego Maradona dies

On November 25, Maradona dies of cardiac arrest and acute pulmonary oedema at the San Andrés gated community in Tigre, two weeks after brain surgery for a subdural hematoma.
🔍

2020–2023

Criminal investigation

Authorities investigate the circumstances of Maradona's death. A medical review board concludes he began dying at least 12 hours before his heart stopped.
⚖️

2024 – May 2025

First oral trial

Trial begins with 7 defendants. Over 20 hearings and 44 testimonies are heard, including those of Maradona's daughters.
💥

May – November 2025

Scandal and annulment

Judge Makintach is found to have participated in the "Divine Justice" documentary. The trial is annulled. Makintach is removed from the bench in November.
🔄

March – April 2026

Second oral trial

The process restarts from scratch under a new three-judge panel: Gaig, Ortolani and Rolón. The first hearing takes place on April 14, 2026.
🏛️

June – July 2026 (estimated)

Verdict expected

The tribunal aims to deliver its verdict before the mid-year judicial recess, potentially as early as June 2026.

👨‍⚖️The new judges: under the microscope

The three magistrates now presiding are Alberto Gaig, Alberto Ortolani, and Pablo Rolón, members of the Oral Criminal Court No. 7 of San Isidro. Luque himself had reportedly preferred a jury trial — a request that was denied — though his attorney expressed confidence in the new panel's impartiality.

Hearings are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the courthouse on Ituzaingó Street 340 in San Isidro. The witness list has been trimmed to roughly 90–120 names — down from a proposed 170 — and includes medical experts, family members, police officers, and people from Maradona's inner circle.

💔The family: "We want Diego to rest in peace"

Verónica Ojeda, mother of Dieguito Fernando — Maradona's 13-year-old youngest son — told reporters outside the courthouse: "That's what we all need: justice for Diego. We want to live in peace and for Diego to rest in peace." Her partner and family lawyer, Mario Baudry, was more direct: "I hope they are found guilty. And I hope the judges are severe with Luque, Cosachov and Díaz."

Baudry also pointed to the emotional weight of having to relive the ordeal: "For the victims, going through this again is hard, especially while also having to look after a 13-year-old boy." Daughters Dalma, Gianinna, and Jana attended the first hearing and will be called to testify again.

"We want to live in peace and for Diego to rest in peace."
— Verónica Ojeda, Maradona's former partner and mother of Dieguito Fernando

🔬The medical facts of the case

Maradona died of cardiac arrest and acute pulmonary oedema, against a clinical backdrop that included chronic kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, respiratory failure, and long-standing addictions to cocaine and alcohol. He had undergone surgery on November 3, 2020 at the Clínica Olivos for a subdural hematoma — a blood clot pressing on the brain. He was discharged on November 11 and transferred to a house in the San Andrés gated community in Tigre to recover under home medical supervision.

The medical review board convened by the courts determined that Maradona had begun dying at least 12 hours before he was found unresponsive, and that he displayed unmistakable signs of prolonged agony. Prosecutors argue that a timely transfer to a hospital could have saved his life.

Regarding the conditions of the home convalescence, the prosecution stated there was "no medical equipment, not even a bandage" and described the setup as "deficient, marked by omissions." The defence counters that the treatment plan was "agreed upon and appropriate" to Maradona's condition, and that the footballer himself made decisions about his care.

🌐A case that transcends borders

The trial over Maradona's death is not merely a criminal proceeding: it is a mirror through which Argentina examines its healthcare system, its judiciary, and its relationship with its own legends. The football world watches from outside. AFP, Reuters, CNN, Al Jazeera and dozens of international outlets covered the opening of the second trial in real time.

Whatever verdict is ultimately reached will have implications far beyond prison sentences. It will set a precedent on medical accountability in Argentina and define how far negligence can go before it becomes a crime.

The Number 10 spent his whole life asking the world to remember him. Now he waits, from somewhere beyond, for justice to speak its final word.

#Maradona #MaradonaTrial #SanIsidro #Argentina #MedicalNegligence #LeopoldoLuque #ArgentinaJustice #DiegoMaradona2026

📅 April 18, 2026 • ⏱️ Reading time: 8–10 minutes • 📍 Washington D.C. / Buenos Aires

The meeting between Caputo and Georgieva took place as the formal closing of an intense week of Argentine negotiations in Washington. Even before the official meeting – "on Friday," as the minister himself had announced in an informal meeting that had taken place days earlier on the ground floor of the IMF building – the IMF's technical staff had already given public signs of support for the adjustment plan of Javier Milei's government.

At the end of the meeting, Caputo was blunt to journalists: "It was a very pleasant meeting because there is a relationship of trust," he said. He added, "[Georgieva] is super impressed with the accomplishments." The head of the IMF, for her part, published on her official X account: "Excellent meeting with Minister Luis Caputo and the president of the Central Bank, Bausili, on the solid implementation of policies in Argentina. We look forward to continuing to support reforms to strengthen stability and boost growth."

Luis Caputo, Minister of Economy, after the meeting with Georgieva — Washington, 17/4/2026

👥 The participants of the table

The Argentine delegation was led by Caputo and was attended by the president of the Central Bank, Santiago Bausili; the Deputy Minister of Economy, José Luis Daza; the vice president of the BCRA, Vladimir Werning; and Argentina's representative to the IMF, Leonardo Madcur. The composition of the team reflects the centrality that the government assigns to the management of the external debt and the accumulation of reserves.

The meeting is part of a key moment in Argentina's program with the Fund. On April 15, just two days before the formal meeting, the IMF staff confirmed the Staff Level Agreement (SLA) corresponding to the second review of the Extended Facilities (EFF) program signed in April 2025 for a total of USD 20,000 million. The technical agreement enables a disbursement of approximately USD 1,000 million, which will be finalized once the Executive Board grants its endorsement – scheduled for early or mid-May.

Luis Cubeddu, head of the "Argentine Case" at the IMF, confirmed it unambiguously: "Our plan is to present the request to the board of directors in early or mid-May. We are preparing the necessary documentation." The agency expects Argentina to accumulate USD 8,000 million in reserves during 2026.

📌 The numbers of the agreement

Hours before the meeting with Georgieva, at a press conference held in Washington, the IMF's technical staff gave a closed endorsement to the Argentine government's adjustment plan. Nigel Chalk, director of the organization's Western Hemisphere Department, was in charge of drawing the general picture: "What has happened during the course of this year was a very positive policy impulse for the country. The Budget was approved, there was an important labor reform, the reserves are accumulating through the consistent action of the Central Bank in the markets. There is a continuous effort to eliminate distortions in the economy, to open it up and to increase productivity."

📉 Inflation of 3.4%: the peak

The inflation figure for March – a 3.4% that irritated President Javier Milei – was the only point of tension in the technical debate. Cubeddu offered a weighted reading of the IMF: "The increase in inflation of 3.4% in March reflects a number of factors: the rise in energy prices globally and seasonal increases in education. We project that a disinflation process will take place in the coming months. High-frequency indicators for April suggest that is the case." Twelve-month inflation expectations, he added, "remain relatively well anchored in the 25% range."

The week in Washington was not limited to the IMF. Caputo deployed an intense multilateral agenda: he met with Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank; Ilan Goldjan, head of the IDB; and Sergio Díaz Granado, in charge of CAF. The objective: to close a scaffolding of guarantees to cover the maturities of private debt in dollars that mature in July. According to official information, the minister has already obtained USD 2,550 million in guarantees from multilateral organizations.

Cubeddu, consulted on the matter, described this strategy as "essential": "The authorities are following a multi-pronged strategy. The first is to mobilize financing in dollars from domestic markets. The second has to do with the sale of state assets. The third is through repos from the Central Bank, and the fourth through loans from commercial banks guaranteed by multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and the IDB."

🗺️ The war in the Middle East: the global variable that was also discussed

Both Caputo and Georgieva agreed on the assessment of the international context: the war in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz represent a global risk of the first order. The IMF director warned member countries during the week: "Do not be complacent, do not start making lax fiscal policies, because if in this context you begin to spend more and increase debt levels, rates will continue to rise and debts will become unsustainable," Caputo described, paraphrasing the organization's position.

For Argentina, the war has a particular nuance: the country is a net exporter of energy. According to the IMF statement, the country "continues to deal well with the indirect effects of the war," although the rise in the international price of crude oil generates an inflationary impact on fuels that was noted in the March data.

Beyond the figures of the agreement, Caputo approved the week in Washington to outline the government's reformist agenda to investors and international officials. The priority of the economic team is, in the words of the minister himself, "to reduce what we call the Argentine cost." And it breaks it down into three specific axes:

▶ Reduce regulations — simplify the regulatory framework to facilitate private activity.

▶ Improve logistics — upgrade infrastructure and eliminate bottlenecks in foreign trade.

The minister also reinforced the political support that sustains the program: "This is the first time we have taken this path and we are not going to move an inch from it to continue with our structural reforms," he said, alluding to the electoral results that the ruling party presented as an endorsement of the administration.

The tone of the week in Washington leaves no doubt: the relationship between Argentina and the IMF is at its best in years. The combination of a staff that praises without conditions, a managing director who declares herself "impressed" and a disbursement of USD 1,000 million within hours of being finalized paints a politically favorable picture for Milei's government. However, the context data deserves closer examination.

✅ What's going well

▶ The BCRA has accumulated more than USD 5,500 million in foreign currency purchases so far this year.

▶ The legal framework was strengthened: Approved 2026 budget, labor reform, ratification of trade agreements.

▶ The second revision of the EFF was approved without major technical friction.

▶ Multilateral guarantees (WB, IDB) allow maturities to be refinanced without going out to international markets at high rates.

⚠️ The points of attention

▶ Net reserves closed 2025 at -USD 14,100 M, far from the target of -USD 1,000 M. The second waiver is in the hands of the Board.

▶ Inflation of 3.4% in March was the highest in months and worries the IMF, although the staff tested a decline for the following months.

▶ Argentina is the main debtor of the IMF with 34.5% of the outstanding loans: the maturities of 2026 amount to USD 3,605 million.

▶ Access to the voluntary capital market is still conditioned by rate differentials: the country avoids borrowing in the markets as long as spreads are high.

Keyword / Frase Clave	SEO Type	Search Intent
Caputo Georgieva IMF meeting	Exacta / trending	Informational — news
Argentina IMF 2026 agreement	Long-tail	Informational/Financial
IMF disbursement USD 1000 million	Long-tail numeric	Informational — hard data
Second Review of IMF Argentina Program	Technical/Financial	Informational/Specialized
Staff Level Agreement Argentina	Technical jargon	Informational — high frequency
inflation Argentina IMF March 2026	Long-tail noticiosa	Informational / News
BCRA 2026 IMF Reserves Target	Technique + year	Informational/Data
IMF-Argentina Spring Meetings	Event	Informational — context

📈 FAQ Schema — Frequently Asked Questions

Argentina and the IMF staff reached a Staff Level Agreement approving the second review of the EFF program for USD 20,000 million. The agreement enables a disbursement of USD 1,000 million, pending the approval of the Board of Directors scheduled for May 2026.

Georgieva published in X that it was an "excellent meeting on the solid implementation of policies in Argentina" and expressed the Fund's willingness to continue supporting reforms to consolidate stability and growth.

The Argentine government chose not to go to the international capital markets as long as rate differentials are high. Instead, it articulates guarantees with multilateral organizations (WB, IDB, CAF) to refinance maturities at a lower cost.

In the remainder of 2026, Argentina must pay USD 3,605 million to the IMF. The next maturity is in May for USD 805 million. The country is the main debtor of the organization with 34.5% of outstanding loans.

▶ La Nación — "Caputo reaped another sign of support from the IMF in a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva" — 4/17/2026

▶ Infobae — "Caputo met with the head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, after the announcement of the agreement" — 4/17/2026

▶ El Cronista — "Caputo met with Georgieva at the IMF with the approved review" — 4/17/2026

▶ Ámbito Financiero — "Caputo announced agreement with the IMF for the second review" — 4/15/2026

▶ Channel 26 — "Confirmed: IMF approves second review of agreement with Argentina" — 4/15/2026

▶ Infobae — "Before the Caputo-Georgieva meeting, the IMF staff supported the financing strategy" — 4/17/2026

▶ Agencia Noticias Argentinas / Pregon — "Caputo met with Georgieva at the IMF after the agreement" — 4/17/2026

▶ Panorama newspaper — "The IMF confirmed that it will discuss the revision of the agreement with Argentina in May" — 4/18/2026

The judicial deadline expires: Milei's government must pay $2.5 billion or enter into contempt to update salaries and university scholarships

The Federal Administrative Court ratified the validity of the University Financing Law (No. 27,795) and set for this Friday at 9:30 a.m. the deadline for the national Executive to transfer the funds. Teachers, non-teachers and students of the 56 national universities are waiting for a retroactive salary recomposition that starts in December 2023, while the Government warns that compliance with the ruling would imply the end of the fiscal surplus.

✍️ By the Editorial Staff of Noticias Universitarias | 📅 April 17, 2026 | 🕐 Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

🔍 The judicial stopwatch and the cornered government

The national government is facing an ultimatum with no return. This Friday at 9:30 a.m. is the deadline set by the Federal Administrative Court for the administration of Javier Milei to comply with the ruling that ratifies the full validity of the University Financing Law (Law 27,795). The figure at stake amounts to $2.5 trillion pesos, a disbursement that the Executive Branch itself has already described internally as "the death certificate of the zero deficit."

As reported by Infobae with sources from the Executive Branch, from the Casa Rosada they openly recognize that the money "is not there". The responsibility for redistributing the budget items falls on the chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, who will have to find a way to dose a payment that the ruling party considered unaffordable. Despite the legislative defeat that overturned the presidential veto last year and the ratification in both judicial instances, the libertarian administration did not apply the corresponding budgetary funds, deriving the conflict into a judicial labyrinth where it lost in all previous instances.

The amount owed exceeds by about USD 750 million the disbursement from the IMF that Economy Minister Luis Caputo managed to unblock days earlier in Washington, which illustrates the magnitude of the fiscal impact. The last card that the ruling party is considering is to appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation requesting suspensive effect, although judicial sources consulted by this newspaper described that possibility as "unlikely" successful.

⚖️ The chain of failures: from the first instance to the Chamber

The origin of the judicial conflict dates back to December 2025, when Judge Martín Cormick, head of the Federal Administrative Court No. 11, granted a collective amparo promoted by the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and other entities. In that first instance resolution, Cormick stopped Decree 759/2025 with which Milei had suspended the execution of the law, despite the insistence of both chambers of Congress, and considered that said decree presented features of "arbitrariness and manifest illegality".

The magistrate stressed that the Government had justified the suspension of the law by appealing to a norm of lower hierarchy – Article 5 of Law 24,629 – against an express constitutional mandate. Likewise, the judge pointed out that the loss of purchasing power of university professors "continues today, violating labor rights protected by International Human Rights Treaties and by the National Constitution."

The Government appealed, but on March 31, 2026, Chamber III of the Federal Administrative Litigation Chamber – made up of judges Sergio Fernández and Jorge Morán – ratified the precautionary measure, rejected the official arguments and described the Executive's proposals as "not very serious". The chamber members also emphasized that the application of the measure has a limited fiscal impact and does not significantly compromise the public interest. The deadline for compliance was set for 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 18, 2026.

📋 What Law 27,795 orders and what the ruling requires

The precautionary measure requires immediate compliance with Articles 5 and 6 of Law 27,795, which establish two major obligations for the Executive Branch:

▶ Salary recomposition: update of the salaries of teachers and non-teachers of national public universities, covering the inflationary gap accumulated from December 1, 2023 until the full enactment of the law in September 2025.

▶ Student scholarships: full recomposition and updating of all scholarship programs for students in public higher education, which also suffered a severe deterioration in real terms.

The regulation also contemplates the automatic updating of salaries in accordance with accumulated inflation and establishes that since the transfer of educational competencies to the provinces decades ago, the Nation retains exclusive power over the financing of university education. This singularity makes the universities the only school fund directly under the control of the National Executive, which is why the cut in this sector became an emblem of Milei's "chainsaw" plan.

📊 The Wage Gap in Numbers: Inflation vs. Updates

🎤 Voices of the conflict: university, unions and Casa Rosada

The academic community and the teachers' unions celebrated the Chamber's ruling and began to plan a new federal mobilization. Clara Chevalier, president of the National Federation of University Teachers (CONADU), defined the sentence as "very important news that marks a limit for the Government" and called for a march towards a new Federal University March.

The president of the University Federation of La Plata (FULP), Eugenia Sala, ironized about the presidential rhetoric: "Milei likes to talk about 'everything within the law and nothing outside the law'. Well, within the law: more budget for national universities, better salaries for our teachers and non-teachers, and more budget for student scholarships."

The rector of the National University of Rosario and new president of the CIN, Franco Bartolacci, published on his social networks that the ruling represents "a historic decision" and pointed out that what remains is for the Government to comply with the court order.

From the national government, on the other hand, the message was lapidary. Unobjectionable sources from the Executive Branch told Infobae: "Today we are not going to pay. I say this because we really don't have the money." The ruling party also warned that compliance with the ruling will mean a return to the fiscal deficit, an argument that the Executive has been using as a political shield against judicial and parliamentary demands.

— Unobjectionable source of the National Executive Branch, cited by Infobae, April 2026

🔮 Possible scenarios after the expiration of the term

📅 Chronology of the conflict: from the marches to the Chamber ruling

🎓 The university system in check: beyond salaries

The conflict over university funding is not only a salary dispute: it is the most visible expression of the tension between the fiscal adjustment model promoted by the Milei administration and the defense of the public higher education system that Argentina built over decades. According to the CIN report, transfers to national universities accumulate a real drop of 45.6% between 2023 and 2026, which puts at risk everything from the payment of basic services to the maintenance of university hospitals, research laboratories and student canteens.

At the beginning of 2026, the Undersecretary of University Policies Alejandro Álvarez and the Secretary of Education Carlos Torrendell met with rectors of the CIN to explore the possibility of promoting a new law that would replace the current one with less fiscal impact. The project did not prosper and the ruling party opted to bet on a favorable resolution in the courts, a strategy that also failed.

The teachers' unions, which are holding active strikes – in what some are already calling the "Japanese-style" modality – are preparing to relaunch the massive call in the style of the historic mobilization of 2024, marked as one of the largest since the return of democracy and the largest suffered by the libertarian administration. The prospect of half a million people back on the streets generates, according to different sources, "anxiety" in some offices of the Casa Rosada.

📚 Sources consulted and links verified

Textual quotations are attributed to their original sources. The information reflects the status of the conflict as of April 17, 2026.

🔑 TAGS: public universities · university financing · law 27795 · Milei · Teacher salaries · Student Scholarships · CAF Camera · Contempt of Court · Federal March · Argentina 2026

Beatriz Viegas (72) and Claudia Sbabo (64), former owners of the property at 500 Miró Street, testified this afternoon before federal prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita. The operation was written at US$230,000: Adorni only paid US$30,000 at the time of signing and was left owing the remaining US$200,000, without interest, due in November 2026. Judge Ariel Lijo has already lifted the tax and banking secrecy of the official and his wife. The cause escalates.

Graciela Molina and Victoria Cancio arrived in Comodoro Py on Monday. This Wednesday it is the turn of Viegas and Sbabo. (Sources: Infobae / La Nación)

The case for alleged illicit enrichment that falls on Manuel Adorni, current Chief of Staff of the Nation and former presidential spokesman of Javier Milei, entered this week an evidentiary stage of high political and judicial voltage. The file, instructed by Federal Judge Ariel Lijo and delegated to the prosecutor's office of Dr. Gerardo Pollicita, accumulates complaints about real estate operations that would have far exceeded the economic capacity declared by the official before the Anti-Corruption Office.

The investigation originated from a formal complaint filed by Deputy Marcela Pagano, who pointed out inconsistencies between Adorni's declared assets and the acquisitions made during his administration in government. To this complaint were added alerts for a private plane trip to Punta del Este and various real estate financing operations with individuals, without the intervention of the formal banking system.

Beatriz Viegas, 72, and Claudia Sbabo, 64, are the central protagonists of the judicial day on Wednesday, April 15. Both women are the former owners of the apartment located at 500 Miró Street, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Caballito, the property that Manuel Adorni wrote together with his wife Bettina Angeletti in November 2025.

The purchase and sale operation was documented at a declared value of US$230,000. However, the fact that set off the judicial alarms was the financing mechanism: Adorni paid just US$30,000 at the time of the deed and the sellers themselves – the two retirees – financed the remaining US$200,000, without charging interest, maturing in November 2026.

According to the documentation included in the file and the statements of the notary Adriana Nechevenko, who participated in the operation, it was a modality of "direct financing of sellers": a sale agreed in installments and not a loan of external capital. However, the prosecution is seeking to determine whether this mechanism was legitimate or if it was used to disguise the origin of the funds, especially since the declared value of the property contrasts with other indicators of the case.

Prosecutor Pollicita will take testimony from the two women and, in addition, will require them to appear with their cell phones. The goal is to access call logs, text messages, audios, emails, and images related to the operations under investigation. This procedure has become a pattern in the case: Graciela Molina and Victoria Cancio – who testified on Monday – also had information seized from their devices.

Before the turn of Viegas and Sbabo, on Monday, April 13, two other creditors of Adorni testified before the prosecutor Pollicita: Graciela Isabel Molina, a retired police commissioner, and her daughter Victoria María José Cancio, an accountant active in the same force.

Mother and daughter are listed as lenders of US$100,000 to the Chief of Staff, divided into US$85,000 (Molina) and US$15,000 (Cancio), delivered on November 15, 2024. That date is not a minor detail: it coincides exactly with the day that Adorni's wife, Bettina Angeletti, bought the house in the country Indio Cuá, in Exaltación de la Cruz, province of Buenos Aires.

As collateral, Adorni offered a mortgage on the apartment he lived in at the time at 1100 Asamblea Avenue, in the Parque Chacabuco neighborhood. During their testimony, the witnesses confirmed that the official has already returned US$30,000, but still owes them US$70,000 plus the interest agreed at 11% per year in 24 monthly installments. The expiration date is November 2026.

A judicially colored detail: minutes before entering to testify, Graciela Molina received a WhatsApp message with a support emoji sent from the phone of the notary Nechevenko. The communication was considered relevant by the prosecutor and was formally incorporated into the file.

The case accumulates a considerable volume of evidence that prosecutor Pollicita is processing in parallel to the witness statements. Below is the detail of the body of evidence up to April 15, 2026:

The most striking element of the case is not the existence of debts – something in itself legal – but the nature of them: loans from individuals without bank intervention, with favorable conditions that are difficult to obtain in the formal market (without interest in some cases, or at rates well below the average of the informal segment).

The prosecution aims to reconstruct the "route of the funds": how the money got into the hands of the lenders, whether they had sufficient economic capacity to justify the amounts delivered and whether those funds were used by Adorni for simultaneous acquisitions with his wife.

A piece of information indicated in the file indicates that the US$100,000 lent by Molina and Cancio on November 15, 2024 would have been used that same day for the purchase of the house in the country Indio Cuá. The official's wife, Bettina Angeletti, would have taken that cash to a branch of Banco Galicia to deposit it and then transfer it to the seller of the property, Juan Ernesto Cosentino.

The notary Adriana Nechevenko occupies a central place in the framework of the file. He participated in the deeds of at least two of the properties investigated and intervened in the documentation of mortgage loans between private parties. Before the prosecutor, he denied the existence of cash loans and described the operations as "normal" transactions, framed in the modality of direct financing between seller and buyer.

However, when asked how it was possible for two retirees with fixed incomes to lend US$200,000 without interest, the notary could not or did not want to give explanations: "You have to ask him that," was her answer, according to judicial sources. The statement left more questions than certainties and motivated the prosecutor to move forward with the request for the lifting of banking and tax secrecy.

A striking episode: the day after her statement, Nechevenko spontaneously returned to the federal courts of Comodoro Py, without having been summoned. According to what transpired from the judicial environment, he went to make clarifications and hand over his cell phone, which he had said he had forgotten the day before.

The file entered a stage of acceleration that judicial operators describe as a "cruise": the lifting of tax and banking secrecy opened channels of information that the prosecutor's office will process in the coming weeks. These are the main open fronts:

The central axis of the investigation is to determine whether Manuel Adorni experienced illicit enrichment under the terms of Article 268 of the Argentine Criminal Code, which punishes the public official who, when duly requested, cannot justify the origin of an appreciable patrimonial enrichment. The penalty is two to six years in prison and absolute disqualification for life.

At the same time, the case opens a window on the figure of mortgage financing between private parties as an alternative mechanism to the formal banking system: a practice that, although it exists and in many cases is legitimate, is exposed to judicial scrutiny when it involves public officials obliged to account for their assets.

⚖ Independent Judicial Journalism · Verified coverage with multiple sources · Argentina 2026

⚖️ AFA CASE: FOOTBALL ON THE BENCH

Everything acted by the Justice: raids, prosecutions, setbacks and projections to the 2026 World Cup

⏱️ Reading Time: 10–12 minutes | 📅 Updated: April 13, 2026 | ✍️ Judicial & Sports Writing

Sources: Infobae • La Nación • Perfil • CNN Español • Tiempo Judicial • Los Andes • RedBoing • court documents

🏛️ Institution investigated: Argentine Football Association (AFA) — Viamonte headquarters, Buenos Aires

👥 Other defendants: Pablo Toviggino (treasurer), Cristian Malaspina (general secretary), Víctor Blanco Rodríguez and Gustavo Lorenzo

💰 ARCA Cause Amount: $19,353,546,843.85 (contributions and taxes withheld, March 2024 – September 2025)

🏠 Pilar mansion case: 105,000 m² property valued at USD 17 million + 59 high-end vehicles

🌐 International money laundering case: Network that would have channeled more than USD 300 million out of the Argentine banking circuit

🏛️ Judges involved: Diego Amarante (ARCA case), Luis Armella, Daniel Rafecas, Adrián González Charvay, María Servini

⚖️ Prosecutor: Claudio Navas Rial (ARCA case); Cecilia Incardona (Sur Finanzas)

📅 Last news: April 9, 2026: Prosecutor asks to aggravate prosecutions and include withholdings of sports advertising

The legal case against the AFA was not born from a single blow. It was the result of at least three parallel investigations that converged during 2025 and 2026 and that, although they have different judicial orbits, share the same denominator: the management of Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia at the head of the entity since 2017.

The first investigation arose from a complaint before the justice of Lomas de Zamora, related to former directors of the Banfield Club and a financial company called Sur Finanzas, owned by businessman Ariel Vallejo, publicly recognized as close to Tapia. When investigators raided Banfield and Sur Finanzas in July 2025, they found documentation that linked the financial company with 17 other clubs and with the AFA itself.

The second leg was the complaint of the General Directorate of Taxation (DGI) that detected millionaire transfers from the Sur Finanzas PSP platform for $818,000,000,000, made by 'monotributistas without economic capacity', people in the base of issuers of apocryphal invoices and uncategorized subjects. That triggered the hypothesis of organized money laundering.

The third leg – and the one that had the most institutional impact – was the complaint by ARCA (Customs Collection and Control Agency) for improper withholding of social security and tax contributions between March 2024 and September 2025. The State claimed that the AFA had legally withheld the funds of its employees but never deposited them with the treasury.

The judicial investigation against the AFA is not a single file but a network of at least three parallel cases that prosecutors claim are 'related' to each other.

The judicial lock is not one of words: judges and prosecutors have a voluminous arsenal of material and documentary evidence.

• 🏠 Villa Rosa Mansion (Pilar): 105,000 m² with heliport, hariums, swimming pools, sports facilities and a warehouse with 52 cars and 7 luxury motorcycles + 2 competition karts. Valued at USD 17 million. Formal owner: Real Central SRL (monotributista and his retired mother without economic capacity). Payment orders for $415 million from the AFA to that company, approved by Toviggino, under the concept of 'logistics and transfer services'.

• 💳 AFA fixed terms: Judge Amarante's ruling reveals that while the AFA did not deposit taxes, it had 24 active fixed terms in pesos. Capital invested: $32,000 million. Accrued interest: more than $5,638 million between April 2024 and July 2025. The judge concluded: it was a deliberate financial strategy, not a liquidity crisis.

• 💸 Transfers from sponsors: The processing details that, in all the months where there were unfulfilled fiscal deadlines, significant transfers from sponsors to AFA bank accounts were registered. That is, the money entered but did not leave for the treasury.

• 📱 Chats destroyed: Prosecutor Incardona charged four Sur Finanzas employees with concealment and destruction of evidence. The hijacked chats show instructions to delete information, extract cash and coordinate movements of vehicles and personnel after the raids.

• 📊 $818,000 million in transfers: The DGI detected this amount circulating through the Sur Finanzas PSP platform, of which a significant portion was credited by subjects without real economic capacity: monotributistas, issuers of apocryphal invoices and 'uncategorized subjects'.

• 🌍 Network in Florida: TourProdEnter LLC, the AFA's exclusive commercial agent abroad since 2021, would have concentrated more than USD 260 million. At least USD 42 million was allegedly diverted to companies with no real activity in the state of Florida (USA).

• 📄 Corporate card: A report came to the court stating that with a corporate card of the AFA issued in the name of a director, whose summary arrived at the headquarters of Viamonte, millions of personal expenses were made.

🖼️ AFA headquarters in Viamonte during one of the raids — Photo: RSFotos / Valeria Rotman

The case did not advance in a straight line. The defense lawyers deployed a battery of appeals that forced stoppages, changes of judge and discussions of jurisdiction.

The case is entering a decisive stage. These are the most likely scenarios according to the current procedural status:

1. ⚖️ SCENARIO 1 — Oral trial (more likely in the medium term): If the Economic Criminal Court confirms the prosecutions of Tapia and Toviggino – they have already made progress in that direction by rejecting the nullity – the next step would be the final prosecution and the elevation to oral trial. The minimum sentence in the event of a conviction is not eligible for release due to the aggravated offence. The process could take years, but confirmation would already have immediate political and institutional effects.

2. 💰 SCENARIO 2 — Comprehensive reparation and dismissal (Toviggino): Toviggino offers to pay what ARCA claims to file its part of the file. Argentine criminal tax law allows this mechanism if certain conditions are met. If the Chamber accepts it, Toviggino could disassociate himself before the rest of the defendants.

3. ✈️ SCENARIO 3 — The World Cup as a stressor: The tournament begins on June 11, 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Tapia and Toviggino need judicial authorization for each trip. If the ban on departure remains in force, his presence at the event will depend on Judge Amarante. This exposes them politically to FIFA and Conmebol.

4. 🗓️ SCENARIO 4 — Unification of cases: The prosecutor's office considers that the three investigations are linked. If the judges order the unification of files, the process would take on a much larger dimension and the defendants could face more serious accusations.

5. 🏛️ SCENARIO 5 — Institutional impact on AFA: If Tapia is convicted or judicial pressure increases, early elections could be called. FIFA could intervene if it considers that there is external political interference. The debate on the incorporation of the Sports Anonymous Companies (SAD), promoted by the Milei government and rejected by the AFA, would gain new momentum.

6. 🌐 SCENARIO 6 — International Extension: The investigation of TourProdEnter LLC and the $42 million diverted to Florida may lead to requests for international judicial cooperation. If the U.S. opens its own investigation, the case would take on a global dimension.

Argentine football arrives at the 2026 World Cup with the National Team at the top of the world and its governing body under the most serious judicial siege in its history. Tapia celebrated nine years at the helm of AFA with a speech of sporting achievements. The Justice, on the other hand, responded with a prosecution for misappropriation, seizures and a ban on leaving the country.

The case is not lightning in clear skies: it is the result of years of complaints, parallel investigations and the sustained work of prosecutors who followed the money trail. Judge Amarante said it clearly in his ruling: the AFA had $32,000 million in fixed terms and decided, deliberately, not to deposit what corresponded to the treasury. It was not a crisis, it was a strategy.

If the prosecutions are confirmed and the case reaches an oral trial, it would be the largest criminal process against a sports institution in Argentine history. And if the international investigation into TourProdEnter LLC succeeds, the reach could be global. The most important match for the AFA is not played in a stadium. It is played out in the courts.

#CausaAFA #ChiquiTapia #Toviggino #AFAJusticia #SurFinanzas #LavadoDeDinero #FútbolArgentino #ARCA #Mundial2026 #EscándaloAFA #JusticiaPenalEconómica #TestaferrosAFA

📉 Consumption 2026: Deep Recession or Transformation of Argentine Spending?

The first quarter of 2026 marks a turning point in the domestic economy. After years of volatility, official data from INDEC and private consultants suggest that the Argentine consumer is not only spending less, but is spending in a radically different way.

Preliminary figures for March show a contraction of 8.2% year-on-year in mass consumption. Behind this cold number, however, a trend of "smart survival" emerges:

Suggested image: Consumers comparing prices on supermarket shelves with own brands.
🔗 Link: cronista.com

Faced with the loss of purchasing power, the Government has articulated with the main financial institutions (public and private) a credit relief plan.

By April 2026, the tariff tables in Argentina have entered a critical phase of price sincerity and extreme targeting, marking the end of the mass segmentation scheme (N1, N2, N3) that was in force until the end of 2025.

Below, the technical detail of the new tariff tables and their impact on the pocket:

The new Targeted Energy Subsidy Regime (SEF) introduces very strict seasonal consumption caps for the autumn months (March, April and May).

The National Gas Regulatory Entity (ENARGAS) made official adjustments that combine a slight reduction in the price of gas in April offset by the removal of subsidies.

Although the migration from the old RASE to the new RESEF is automatic in most cases, beneficiaries of the Home Program (bottles) must carry out a mandatory re-registration so as not to lose the benefit, which now averages $1,778 per subsidized unit.

Argentina is going through a process of family "portfolio cleaning". While the government seeks to contain the social impact through the banking system, the market expects a stabilization that seems to depend more on long-term confidence than on the immediate injection of pesos.

⏱ Estimated reading time: 5 minutes | 🗓 April 10, 2026 | ✍ Economic Writing

The Central Bank eliminated the cap on withdrawing cash abroad with a card: a new era for Argentine travelers

Through Communication "A" 8417, the BCRA annulled the limit of USD 50 per operation that was in force for cash advances at ATMs abroad. The measure is part of a broader package of exchange rate flexibilizations and does not introduce new ceilings: each bank will define its own thresholds.

📋 What did the Central Bank decide?

The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA) formalized this Thursday a new round of exchange rate flexibilizations through Communication "A" 8417, approved by its board of directors and officially published. The most visible measure for the common citizen is the definitive elimination of the caps that were in force for cash advances made abroad through credit and purchase cards issued in the country.

Until the entry into force of this rule, those who traveled abroad and needed to withdraw money at an ATM with their Argentine credit card faced a limit of USD 50 per operation in neighboring countries and USD 200 in the rest of the world. These ceilings, enshrined in point 4.1 of the ordered text on Foreign Affairs and Exchanges, are expressly repealed.

In its statement, the agency was categorical: "To revoke the limits established in point 4.1. of the ordered text on Foreign Affairs and Changes for withdrawals abroad as cash advances to cardholders granted by financial institutions and other issuers of local credit and/or purchase cards." It is not a question of substitution for other values, but of the outright abolition of the quantitative restriction.

📊 Context: a trap that is dismantled in parts

The decision comes at a time of relative exchange rate calm. The official dollar has been within the floating band established by the BCRA since April 2025, when the government of Javier Milei announced the end of the clamp for individuals. Since then, restrictions for individuals have been gradually lifted, although the scheme for companies maintained greater rigidity.

The elimination of the PAIS Tax at the end of 2025, followed by the suppression of the 30% surcharge applied by ARCA as of January 2, 2026, were previous steps that brought the cost of the "card dollar" closer to that of financial quotes. Now, the removal of the cap on cash advances completes another aspect of the restrictive scheme that characterized the Argentine economy for years.

🔍 How the cash advance with a card works

The cash advance is the operation by which a credit card holder withdraws money in foreign currency from an ATM abroad, using the available credit quota of his plastic. Unlike commercial consumption, this modality involves an immediate financial charge and bank commissions that make it considerably more expensive.

With the previous rule, anyone who tried to withdraw more than USD 50 at an ATM abroad was simply rejected by the system, regardless of the limit that their bank had assigned them. From now on, this regulatory blockage disappears: it will be the commercial policy of each entity that determines how much its customer can extract.

It should be noted that the modification reaches exclusively cash advances and does not alter other aspects of the use of cards abroad, such as consumption in stores or digital platforms.

📦 The Complete Package: Beyond Cards

Communication "A" 8417 is not exhausted to the extent most widespread. The regulatory package includes a series of adjustments that affect both individuals and companies:

▸ Individual exporters: individuals who export goods are no longer obliged to settle the collections of these exports, provided that the funds enter through the exchange market within the established periods.

▸ Settlement terms for companies: for exports from companies with local headquarters to their subsidiaries abroad, the term goes from 60 to 180 days, and the ceiling is raised from USD 50 million to USD 200 million per year.

▸ Clothing, handbags and similar products: the deadline for entering and settling foreign currency in exports of these low-volume items is extended from six months to one year.

▸ Corporate debt payments: access to the foreign exchange market is facilitated to cancel intrafirm financial debt capital, with refinancing conditions of four years of average life and three years of grace.

▸ Foreign exchange hedges: companies with liabilities in currencies other than the dollar (such as the yuan) will now be able to access the market to hedge in dollars, an operation that was previously prohibited.

▸ Negotiable Obligations: banks may enable access to the foreign exchange market up to three business days before the maturity of securities for the payment of principal, equating the treatment of local bonds with those issued abroad.

🗣 Voices from the market and the BCRA

✈️ Practical impact for Argentine travelers

For those planning a trip abroad, the measure has a concrete but limited effect. Before, if the traveler ran out of cash and needed to withdraw money from an ATM, the system cut off access past the regulatory cap. Now that obstacle disappears from the regulatory side.

However, personal finance specialists warn that cash advances are still one of the most expensive ways to obtain foreign currency abroad. The bank fees for each withdrawal range between USD 14 and USD 19, to which are added the interest on the advance and, for those who pay the summary in pesos, the current tax collection.

The recommendation of the experts remains unchanged: pay the cards in your own dollars before closing, use accounts in foreign currency or resort to digital wallets that operate at the official exchange rate, strategies that allow you to avoid accessory surcharges.

🔎 Frequently Asked Questions (SEO)

The Central Bank eliminated regulatory limits for cash advances at ATMs abroad with Argentine credit cards. Before, there was a cap of USD 50 in bordering countries and USD 200 in the rest of the world; Now each bank determines its own threshold.

Not completely. Although the clamp for individuals was largely lifted since April 2025, restrictions remain for companies and some specific regulations, such as the cross-restriction that prevents access to the official market after operating financial dollars.

The 30% surcharge on account of Profits/Personal Assets was eliminated by ARCA in January 2026, which brought the cost of the card dollar closer to that of financial dollars. However, for those who cancel their summaries in pesos, the tax collection still applies. The best strategy is still to pay with your own dollars.

The total cost includes: bank commission of between USD 14 and USD 19 per withdrawal, interest on cash advances (which are usually high), conversion to the official exchange rate and, in case of paying in pesos, the current tax collection. That is why experts advise against this modality except in emergencies.

📌 Conclusion: one more step in exchange rate normalization

The elimination of the cap on cash advances abroad is one more sign in the process of gradually dismantling the exchange clamp that the Government formally began in April 2025. Although its direct impact on the demand for foreign currency will probably be limited – given the high cost of the operation – the regulatory message is clear: the restrictive scheme continues to recede.

The context is propitious: the official dollar remains within the floating bands, the BCRA's reserves register a positive trend driven in part by the start of the heavy harvest, and the agreement with the IMF provides external support to the economic program. Market analysts agree that Argentina is slowly approaching full exchange rate normalization.

For Argentine travelers, the change is welcome although marginal in everyday life. For the financial market and international investors, it represents a sign that the government maintains its roadmap of exchange rate opening. The next step, according to several economists, could be the definitive elimination of the cross-restriction.

📅 Date of the march	Tuesday, May 12, 2026 — Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires
🏛 Conveners	CIN · Union Front of National Universities · GO
📜 Law in dispute	University Financing Law No. 27,795
📉 Budget fall	45.6% since 2023 (CIN data)
💰 Loss of teacher salaries	Between 30% and 50% of purchasing power since Nov. 2023
⚖️ Latest court ruling	Cont. Camera Adm. Fed. — March 31, 2026: Ruling in favor of universities

🏛 APR 2024	1st Federal University March — April 23, 2024. Approximately 430,000 people throughout the country. The government agreed to negotiate and granted a 270% increase in operating expenses.
📜 AUG 2024	Congress approves the University Financing Law No. 27,795 (August 22, 2024). The Executive threatens with a veto.
✋ OCT 2024	2nd Federal March: against the presidential veto. The government suspended the application of the law by decree.
🏛 SEP 2025	3rd Federal March: Congress rejects the veto. The Executive Branch "promulgates" the law but does not apply it.
⚖️ MAR 2026	The Federal Administrative Court confirms the ruling of the first instance (March 31, 2026). The government is flouting the court order.
🚶 MAY 2026	4th Federal March called for May 12, 2026. Prior to this, a week of strike from April 27 to May 2 (Conadu Histórica).

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📅	Date	April 22, 2026
✍️	Sources	Infobae · Profile · The Capital · Diario Uno · Río Negro
🏷️	SEO keywords	Argentina's electoral reform, eliminate PASO, Clean Sheet, Milei Congress 2026
📂	Category	National Policy · Electoral System · Legislative

Indicator	Cumulative percentage (Dec 2023 — Apr 2026)
Accumulated inflation	280%
College Salary Increase Awarded	158%
Difference (Actual Loss)	−122 percentage points
Estimated loss of purchasing power	−32%
Equivalent in lost monthly wages	≈ 7.3 full salaries
Actual drop in transfers to the system (2023–2026)	−45.6%

Date	Milestone
Dec 2023	Asunción de Milei. Beginning of the adjustment on university items.
Apr. 2024	First Federal University March: almost 1 million people in Buenos Aires.
Sep. 2024	Congress approves Law 27,795 on University Financing.
Oct. 2024	Second Federal University March against the presidential veto.
2025 (annual)	Milei issues Decree 759/2025 suspending the application of the law.
Dec. 2025	Judge Cormick orders the application of the law under the protection of the CIN. First precautionary measure.
31 Mar. 2026	The CAF Chamber ratifies the precautionary measure and sets a period of 15 working days.
Apr 18, 2026	Expiration of the judicial term at 9:30 a.m. Decisive day.

ROLE	NAME	DETAIL
🏛 Examining magistrate	Ariel Lijo	Federal Court No. 4 — in charge of the case file
⚖ Fiscal federal	Gerardo Pollicita	Federal Prosecutor's Office No. 11 — instructs the investigation
👤 Investigated	Manuel Adorni	Chief of Staff — Milei's former presidential spokesman
👤 Investigated	Bettina Julieta Angeletti	Adorni's wife — co-defendant
📝 Notary	Adriana Nechevenko	He intervened in both deeds — he has already declared
👩 Witness Today	Beatriz Viegas (72 a.)	Former owner of the department Miró 500 — loaned $200,000
👩 Witness Today	Claudia Sbabo (64 a.)	Co-saleswoman of the department of Caballito
👮 Witness (Mon.)	Graciela Isabel Molina	Retired Commissioner — loaned US$85,000
👩 💼 Witness (Mon.)	Victoria María José Cancio	Molina's daughter, a police accountant — she lent $15,000
⚽ Previous witness	Hugo Morales	Former footballer — sold the apartment to Viegas and Sbabo
🔨 Prox. Witness	Juan Ernesto Cosentino	Former owner of the Indio Cuá property — to be declared
🔨 Prox. Witness	Matías Tabar	Country Works Contractor Indio Cuá — to be declared
👨 ⚖️ Defense Attorney	Matías Ledesma	Adorni's defense attorney — already involved in the case of Cuadernos
📢 Whistleblower	Deputy Marcela Pagano	He filed the original complaint with the Justice

2022–2023	Adorni accumulates mortgage debts with individuals to finance real estate acquisitions.
15/11/2024	Adorni receives a loan of US$100,000 from Molina and Cancio. That same day, his wife Angeletti buys property in country Indio Cuá.
2024 (var.)	The notary Nechevenko participates in multiple mortgage operations of the Adorni-Angeletti couple.
18/11/2025	Adorni deed apartment Miró at 500 (Caballito) at US$230,000. It pays only US$30,000; it owes US$200,000 without interest to Viegas and Sbabo.
2025/2026	Complaint of Deputy Marcela Pagano before the Federal Justice. Judge Lijo and prosecutor Pollicita intervene.
Apr. 2026	Notary Nechevenko testifies in Comodoro Py; He affirms that operations are normal. The next day he spontaneously returns to "make clarifications" and hands over his cell phone.
09/04/2026	Judge Lijo lifts the banking and tax secrecy of Adorni, his wife and 6 lenders. Pollicita requests information from the BCRA and ARCA.
13/04/2026	Graciela Molina and Victoria Cancio testify. Debt of US$70,000 confirmed. Nechevenko's message of support enters the file.
15/04/2026	Beatriz Viegas (72) and Claudia Sbabo (64) testify today. They hand over their cell phones for digital expertise.
22/04/2026	Pablo Feijoo (son of Viegas) will have to testify. Cosentino and Tabar (Indio Cuá) will also appear.
Nov. 2026	The deadline for the return of US$200,000 to Viegas and Sbabo, and US$70,000 to Molina and Cancio, expires.

OPERATION	AMOUNT	STATE	WINS
Assembly Mortgage (Molina-Cancio)	US$100,000	You owe $70,000 + interest	Nov. 2026
Miró Sale (Viegas-Sbabo)	US$200,000	You owe $200,000 interest-free	Nov. 2026
Indio Cuá (Angeletti — Molina-Cancio funds)	US$100,000 (origin)	Purchase completed	—
TOTAL debt identified	US$270,000+	Pending payment	Nov. 2026

Cause	Judge/Prosecutor	Purpose	State (April 2026)
ARCA — Withholding of contributions	Judge Amarante / Prosecutor Navas Rial	$19,353 M withheld: VAT, Earnings, Social Security (Mar 2024 – Sep 2025)	Defendants; pending appeal to the Chamber; Prosecutor asks for aggravation
Sur Finance — Laundering	Judge Armella + Judge Servini / Prosecutor Incardona	Laundering scheme with 17+ clubs. Transfers $818,000 M. Maneuver 'exchange rate' >USD 1,400 M	Raids, kidnappings, 4 employees charged with destruction of evidence
Mansion Pilar — Front Men	Judge González Charvay (Campana)	Ownership USD 17 M + 59 vehicles in the name of 'Real Central SRL' (Toviggino's front men)	3,869 pages of proof; Pantano and Conte banned from leaving the country
International network	Prosecutor Incardona (extension)	TourProdEnter LLC: USD 260 M concentrated; USD 42 M diverted to Florida companies with no real activity	Under investigation; 'stratification phase' of washing

Accused	Position at AFA	Crime charged	Judicial measures
Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia	President	Aggravated tax misappropriation (34 acts) + Aggravated appropriation of Social Security resources (17 acts)	Processed 3/30/26; seizure $350 M; prohibition of leaving the country; Travel Authorization w/Judicial Permit
Pablo Toviggino	Treasurer	Ditto Tapia	Processed; seizure $350 M; prohibition of departure; he recused the judge; Offers comprehensive repair
Cristian Malaspina	Secretary-General	Misappropriation of taxes (charges)	Processed; Pending appeal
Víctor Blanco Rodríguez	Former Secretary General	Ditto	Processed; Exit ban lifted
Gustavo Roberto Lorenzo	Managing Director	Ditto	Processed; Exit ban lifted
Luciano Pantano / Ana Conte	Titular nominal Real Central SRL (testaferros)	Money laundering (Pilar mansion)	Prohibition of leaving the country; inhibition of assets
Ariel Vallejo	Owner Sur Finance	Money laundering, tax evasion	Multiple raids; case in court of Armella and Servini

Meta Title (60 car.)
Meta Description (155 car.)
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hreflang	es-AR, es-419, es-ES
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Keyword principal	AFA 2026 court case
Long-tail 1
Long-tail 2
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Long-tail 5
Semantic LSI
NER Entities
Voice Search
Search intent	Informational + News + Investigative

Income Level	January 2026	April 2026 (Projected)
No Allowance (ex N1)	$42,000	$45,000+
With Allowance (ex N2)	$28,100	$33,300
Average Revenue (ex N3)	$32,100	$34,000

Appearance	Before	After
Extraction stop (bordering)	$50 per trade	No regulatory cap
Extraction stop (not bordering)	$200 per trade	No regulatory cap
Who sets the limit	BCRA (regulatory)	Each issuing bank
Obligation to liquidate (exporting natural persons)	Yes, mandatory	Does not apply if funds enter
Term of foreign exchange income (companies → subsidiaries)	60 days / cap USD 50 M	180 days / cap USD 200 M
Access to currency hedging in currencies other than USD	Forbidden	Enabled

⚖️ Highway Case: Justice orders the confiscation of assets of Cristina Kirchner and the other convicted

📌 Context: What are the PASO and why does Milei seek to eliminate them?

💰 The debate over political financing

🧾 Clean Record: a battle that the ruling party wants to reopen

🗣️ Political reactions

🔮 Perspectives: What can happen in Congress?

🔗 Sources and references

⚖️A historic second trial begins

👥The seven defendants: who they are

📋The prosecution: "a diabolical environment"

🛡️The defence: "he died of a heart attack"

📰Why a second trial? The documentary scandal explained

🕐Timeline of the case

👨‍⚖️The new judges: under the microscope

💔The family: "We want Diego to rest in peace"

🔬The medical facts of the case

🌐A case that transcends borders

🤝 The meeting: an hour of trust and mutual support

👥 The participants of the table

📊 The context: second revision approved and USD 1,000 million on the way

📌 The numbers of the agreement

📝 Staff support: praise for the "fiscal anchor" and the program

📉 Inflation of 3.4%: the peak

🏗️ The financing plan: WB, IDB and CAF as key pieces

🗺️ The war in the Middle East: the global variable that was also discussed

🛣️ The Three Axes of the "Argentine Cost": Caputo's Roadmap

🧐 Journalistic analysis: what changes and what remains pending

✅ What's going well

⚠️ The points of attention

🔍 Advanced Technical SEO Sheet

Recommended Metadata

Strategic keywords

🛠️ Advanced SEO Strategies 2025–2026

📈 FAQ Schema — Frequently Asked Questions

📚 Sources consulted

The judicial deadline expires: Milei's government must pay $2.5 billion or enter into contempt to update salaries and university scholarships

🔍 The judicial stopwatch and the cornered government

⚖️ The chain of failures: from the first instance to the Chamber

📋 What Law 27,795 orders and what the ruling requires

📊 The Wage Gap in Numbers: Inflation vs. Updates

🎤 Voices of the conflict: university, unions and Casa Rosada

🔮 Possible scenarios after the expiration of the term

📅 Chronology of the conflict: from the marches to the Chamber ruling

🎓 The university system in check: beyond salaries

🔎 Metadata and SEO Optimization of this news

📚 Sources consulted and links verified

⚖️ AFA CASE: FOOTBALL ON THE BENCH

📋 KEY FACTS OF THE FILE

📚 BACKGROUND: HOW IT ALL STARTED

📅 COMPLETE CHRONOLOGY: EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

🕵️ THE THREE CAUSES: STRUCTURE OF THE CASE

🔎 KEY EVIDENCE FOUND BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

👤 THE DEFENDANTS: WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE ACCUSED OF

⚠️ SETBACKS: THE OBSTACLES THAT SLOWED DOWN PROGRESS

🖼️ REFERENCED IMAGES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET

🔭 FUTURE PROJECTIONS: WHAT CAN HAPPEN

🔍 ADVANCED SEO FILE 2026

✍️ EDITORIAL CLOSURE

📉 Consumption 2026: Deep Recession or Transformation of Argentine Spending?

The Central Bank eliminated the cap on withdrawing cash abroad with a card: a new era for Argentine travelers

📋 What did the Central Bank decide?

📊 Context: a trap that is dismantled in parts

🔍 How the cash advance with a card works

📦 The Complete Package: Beyond Cards

🗣 Voices from the market and the BCRA

✈️ Practical impact for Argentine travelers

🔎 Frequently Asked Questions (SEO)

📌 Conclusion: one more step in exchange rate normalization