For the first time in decades, the corridors of the Casa Rosada woke up without a journalistic presence. What began as a criminal complaint against two TN journalists led to the total closure of the historic Balcarce 50 Press Room, unleashing an institutional crisis unprecedented in Argentina's democratic history and an escalation that has already reached the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

On Sunday, April 19, the program "And tomorrow what?", hosted by Luciana Geuna and broadcast by the Todo Noticias (TN) signal, broadcast a report designed to portray the daily functioning of the Casa Rosada and the power dynamics between the sectors of the Government: those close to Karina Milei and those close to Santiago Caputo.

The chronicler Ignacio Salerno made the tour using smart glasses with a built-in camera. During the report, the journalist himself explained that he used this device so that viewers could see what a day inside the government palace is like. The video showed common corridors, classrooms, the office of Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni and that of Eduardo "Lule" Menem, Karina Milei's bishop.

For the Government, this material constituted a violation of security regulations. The Military House maintained in its criminal complaint that the filming exposed surveillance systems, communication equipment and access control devices, providing intelligence on the President's movements. The judicial text invoked articles 222 and 223 of the Penal Code, which contemplate penalties of one to six years in prison for obtaining or revealing political or military secrets.

The government's reaction was immediate and of unprecedented forcefulness. On Thursday, April 24, without prior notice, the Ministry of Communication removed the fingerprints of around 60 accredited journalists from different national and international media from the biometric access system. The extensions to accreditations that had been in force since 2025 were suspended indefinitely.

President Javier Milei himself reacted through his account on the social network X with a message that set off alarms in newsrooms and press defense organizations: he described journalists as "disgusting garbage" and "criminals", and validated messages from libertarian accounts that affirmed that Argentines do not need a press room in the Casa Rosada. Milei described the closure of the room as an "excellent" measure. He later posted photos of journalists on his social networks, in what FOPEA described as an act of personal harassment.

The measure did not come out of nowhere: approximately three weeks before the total shutdown, the government had already withdrawn accreditations from journalists from C5N, A24, El Destape, Ámbito Financiero, Tiempo Argentino and Radio La Patriada, linking them to an alleged Russian intelligence operation in 2024. According to FOPEA, by the end of 2025, 67 journalists had lost permanent accreditations in the Casa Rosada.

On Thursday, April 23, the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA) filed a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, addressed to the president of the IACHR, Edgar Stuardo Ralón Orellana. The document details that the official decision to disqualify press workers who cover the Executive Branch in a generalized manner violates international standards of freedom of expression.

The presentation was not an isolated movement. It gives continuity to the proposals that FOPEA initiated in November 2025 in Miami, during a public hearing of the Commission's 194th Session. At that time, the entity had already warned commissioners about the risks to journalism in Argentina. The IACHR had also received a complaint from the Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities (ADEPA) that same month for "censorship."

On Monday, April 27, the IACHR's Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SLR) made public its concern and urged the Argentine State to review the restriction, demanding that it be adjusted to inter-American standards. It is the first formal international response to the conflict and a diplomatic blow of relevance for the government.

The conflict between the government of Javier Milei and the press did not begin with TN's lenses. Since the inauguration of the president in December 2023, the tension has been escalating under various modalities: public attacks on the reputation of journalists, accusations that journalism is part of "the caste", the installation of the narrative that most journalism is corrupt and the selective withdrawal of accreditations.

In March 2024, Milei accused journalists of being infiltrated agents of Cuba and Venezuela. In the following months, selective restrictions and attacks on press workers during operations were recorded. By the end of 2025, according to FOPEA, 67 professionals had already lost their permanent accreditations at Casa Rosada.

The total closure of April 24, 2026 represents, according to the historical journalists of the government headquarters themselves, an unprecedented event in Argentine history, even in the face of the military dictatorship of 1976–1983. The head of FOPEA, Fernando Stanich, remarked that although pressures on the press have existed in different administrations, it had never been prohibited to enter the main area of operation of the Executive Branch by name and surname.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and its Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression have repeatedly established that the access of the press to government spaces is a basic condition for the exercise of freedom of expression and citizen control. Limiting such access across the board, without proportionate justification or reliance on reasonable security standards, constitutes an illegitimate restriction on the right to information.

FOPEA maintains that the Casa Rosada, as the seat of the country's political power, has the character of an institutional public space. Its closure to the press not only affects journalists but also directly affects the right of citizens to access information about government acts, a pillar of the democratic system recognized by the American Convention on Human Rights.

1. FOPEA — Official Communiqué: Complaint to the IACHR (Primary Source)

2. APF Digital — FOPEA denounces to the IACHR the ban on entry to the Casa Rosada

3. Profile — The government is keeping the press room closed and there is no sign of reversing the measure

4. Profile — Who are the two journalists denounced by the Military House?

5. El Economista — What the Casa Rosada report showed

6. The Capital Mar del Plata — FOPEA denounces the restriction of access to the IACHR

7. Report 24 — Repudiation of the government's authoritarian turn on journalism grows

8. LT3 — Information blackout at the Casa Rosada: FOPEA warns of unprecedented measure

9. BAE Negocios — The Military House denounced journalists for filming inside the Rosada

10. Cibercuba — Milei closes the Casa Rosada press room and sparks controversy

11. Portal Misiones — FOPEA's harsh defense of the government's ban

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

Estimated reading time: ⏱️ 4 minutes

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

By Redacción Judicial | 📅 April 25, 2026

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.

(Absolute link to reference image: Scales of justice and law)

🚩 The focus of the resolution: Recovering state heritage

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.

💰 Figures and assets under the magnifying glass

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

• 🏢 Real Estate: Hotels in Patagonia and apartments in CABA.
• 🚜 Machinery: The automotive and road fleet of Lázaro Báez's companies.
• 🏦 Accounts and Securities: Financial assets that were preventively frozen during the investigation of the case.

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

🛠️ Technical Details and SEO (Advanced Strategy)

In order for this news to achieve maximum reach and authority in search engines (Google News/Discover), the following techniques have been applied:

1. Montserrat Typeface: Set in the visual style for modern and professional readability.
2. Semantic SEO (LSI): Strategic use of terms such as "fraudulent administration", "asset forfeiture", "damage to the public treasury" and "final judgment".
3. Information Architecture: Use of H2 and H3 for Featured Snippets.
4. Responsive Optimization: Design based on short blocks and key points for consumption on mobile devices.

🔗 Related Links and Visual Evidence

• Infographic: Map of corruption in public works
• Analysis: The Economic Impact of the Road Failure

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.

📂 Detailed Breakdown of Assets by Ownership

The asset enforcement process is divided into the following asset cores:

• Lázaro Báez and related companies: It is the largest contributor to the seizure with 84 properties.
  • Real Estate in Santa Cruz and Chubut: Includes 49 properties (lots, farms and ranches) in towns such as Río Gallegos, El Calafate and Río Turbio.
  • Assets of Austral Construcciones: Road machinery and industrial properties used for the fraudulent maneuver.
  • Shared properties: 34 properties that already had previous seizures in other corruption cases.
• Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her children (Máximo and Florencia): The ruling ratifies the execution of assets that had been transferred to her children in 2016.
  • Direct Properties: A plot of land of more than 6,000 square meters in El Calafate in the name of the former president.
  • Transferred Properties (19 properties): Apartments in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (including units in the Madero Center building), land in Santa Cruz and shares in the Los Sauces Casa Patagonica hotel complex.
  • Current Residence: The Justice has put under the magnifying glass the apartment located at San José 1111 (CABA), where the former president currently resides.
• Financial Assets and Cash:
  • Safe Deposit Boxes: Seizure of US$ 4,664,000 found in boxes in the name of Florencia Kirchner.
  • Bank Accounts: An amount of US$ 992,134 detected in a savings account of Banco Galicia, in addition to smaller balances in pesos.

⚙️ Enforcement and Appraisal Procedure

1. Update of the Amount: The original figure of 84,835 million pesos for 2022 was updated by the Body of Experts of the Supreme Court using inflation indices to reflect the real value of the damage to the public treasury.
2. Expired Term: After the expiration of the period of 10 working days for the voluntary deposit of money, the Federal Oral Court 2 was empowered to initiate public auctions of the appraised assets.
3. Destination of the Funds: Although the law suggests financing the Financial Information Unit (UIF), prosecutors Luciani and Mola have requested that the proceeds of the auctions be used as a priority for the construction of schools and hospitals.

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

🖼 See image: Federal University March 23A – 2024 (Wikimedia Commons)

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

🎓 The anniversary that no one celebrates

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 adjustment in numbers: what the budget does not cover

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%.

⚖️ The law that the Executive refuses to comply with

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.

📢 The voices of the conflict

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.

🗓 Chronology of the conflict: four marches, two years

🔬 The Japanese-style strike: the most creative protest

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.

🔮 The Government's position and the projected scenario

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."

🔍 SEO Sheet & Metadata

📚 Sources consulted

▸     Infobae Education · "Public universities prepare a fourth federal march on May 12" — Apr 22, 2026

▸     The Uncovering · "Trampled Wages and Minimum Budget: The Reasons for the Federal University March" — Apr 21, 2026

▸     APF Digital · "The fourth Federal University March already has a date: It will be on May 12" — Apr 22, 2026

▸     Agenfor · "National Universities Set the Date for the Fourth Federal March" — Apr 22, 2026

▸     Infobae Education · "Public universities start classes with a week of protests" — 15 Mar. 2026

© 2026 · Argentine University Journalism · All rights reserved · Typography: Montserrat · SEO Optimized

Electoral Reform in Argentina

🏛️ 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

📸 Reference image:

🔗  See image: Javier Milei — Reuters/AP (external reference)

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

🔗  Infobae — Milei announced the sending of the electoral reform

🔗  Profile — "The is over": Milei announced the reform of the electoral system

🔗  La Capital — Milei announced the sending of an electoral reform to Congress

🔗  Diario Uno — Milei launched the electoral reform that plans to eliminate the PASO

🔗  Río Negro — Milei announced an electoral reform

🏷️ SEO Tags / Tags:

#ReformaElectoral #Argentina #Milei #EliminarPASO #FichaLimpia #LibertyAvanza #Congreso #FinanciamientoPartidos #EleccionesArgentina2027 #PASO #SistemaElectoral #Libertad #LeyFichaLimpia #PoliticaArgentina

An article prepared with an inverted pyramid journalistic style and advanced on-page SEO techniques.

© 2026 — All rights reserved · Reproduction citing source

🏦 SPECIAL 🏦 ECONOMIC COVERAGE

ARGENTINA — IMF — WASHINGTON

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

🇳🇬 International Correspondent  •  📰 International Economics / Finance

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."

Luis Cubeddu, director for the Argentine Case — IMF, Washington, 17/4/2026

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:

▶      Lower taxes — reduce the tax burden on production and investment.

▶      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 fiscal surplus remains as the anchor of the program.

▶      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.

Recommended Metadata

Strategic keywords

🛠️ Advanced SEO Strategies 2025–2026

▶E-E-A-T: sign the note with a journalist with verifiable credentials; cite official sources (IMF, Infobae, La Nación, Ambito).

▶AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): direct response paragraph in the first 100 words to capture position in Google SGE and AI engines.

▶NewsArticle Schema (JSON-LD): datePublished, dateModified, author, publisher, headline, image para elegibilidad en Google News.

▶Core Web Vitals: LCP < 2.5 s, CLS < 0.1, INP < 200 ms — critical in high-traffic news.

▶Continuous Update: Add Board Result (May), Official Booking Figures and Program Updates to Maintain Temporary Relevance (Freshness Signal).

▶Internal linking: linking from coverage of the Argentine economy, Milei, BCRA and external debt.

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❓ What agreements did Argentina conclude with the IMF in April 2026?

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.

❓ What did Georgieva say about Argentina after the meeting with Caputo?

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.

❓ Why does Argentina not issue debt in international markets?

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.

❓ How much does Argentina owe to the IMF in 2026?

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

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Bell Ville, Córdoba, Argentina — April 18, 2026

⚖️ UNIVERSITY CONFLICT ⚖️

🏛️ PUBLIC EDUCATION › UNIVERSITY FINANCING › JUDICIAL BRANCH

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

🖼️ REFERENCE IMAGE

Federal University March — Plaza del Congreso, Buenos Aires

🔗 See full photo gallery — Infobae / Drone view — University March 2024

🔍 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.

— Judge Martín Cormick, CAF Court No. 11, December 2025

📋 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

Source: National Interuniversity Council (CIN) — 2026 Report.

🎤 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

🖼️ REFERENCE IMAGE

National Congress Square — Second Federal University March, October 2, 2024

🔗 See full coverage by drone — Infobae — Second Federal University March (Oct. 2024)

🎓 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.

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📚 Sources consulted and links verified

▶      [1] Diario Río Negro — University financing: the deadline for the Government to comply with the law expires — https://www.rionegro.com.ar/politica/financiamiento-universitario-este-viernes-vence-el-plazo-para-que-el-gobierno-de-javier-milei-cumpla-con-la-ley-4542593/

▶      [2] Infobae — The Government Prepares to Pay $2.5 Trillion and Says "The Deficit Is Back" — https://www.infobae.com/politica/2026/04/16/financiamiento-universitario-el-gobierno-se-prepara-para-pagar-25-billones-y-dice-que-vuelve-el-deficit/

▶      [3] Profile — Against the clock in La Rosada: the Government must pay 2.5 billion to universities — https://www.perfil.com/noticias/politica/contrarreloj-en-la-rosada-el-gobierno-debe-pagar-25-billones-a-las-universidades-en-menos-de-24-horas.phtml

▶      [4] Judicial Time — Justice ordered the Government to comply with the university financing law — https://tiempojudicial.com/2026/03/31/la-justicia-ordeno-al-gobierno-cumplir-la-ley-de-financiamiento-universitario-y-actualizar-el-salarial-docente/

▶      [5] ANRed — Justice ruled in favor of universities and Milei has to apply the Financing Law — https://www.anred.org/la-justicia-fallo-a-favor-de-las-universidades-y-milei-tiene-que-aplicar-la-ley-de-financiamiento-universtario/

▶      [6] Agencia FARCO — Teachers and students celebrated the Chamber's ruling — https://agencia.farco.org.ar/noticias/educacion-noticias/docentes-y-estudiantes-celebraron-el-fallo-que-obliga-al-gobierno-a-cumplir-la-ley-de-financiamiento-universitario/

▶      [7] El Ancasti — Justice ordered the Government to pay $2.5 billion — https://www.elancasti.com.ar/politica-y-economia/la-justicia-ordeno-que-el-gobierno-debera-pagar-25-billones-la-ley-financiamiento-universitario-n610479

▶      [8] Infobae — Gallery: Federal University March from the drone (October 2024) — https://www.infobae.com/politica/2024/10/02/las-imagenes-de-la-multitudinaria-marcha-universitaria-desde-el-drone/

🏛️ This article was prepared with verified journalistic sources.

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

⚖ JUDICIAL ·  POLITICS ·  RESEARCH

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.