This Tuesday, the government of Javier Milei added 100 billion pesos to the 2024 general budget. These funds will be allocated to strengthening the Intelligence Secretariat of the State (SIDE). Officials described these as “reserved funds” that are part of an expanded budget.
The decision to allocate this significant amount to the SIDE was confirmed through decree 656/2024, published in the Official Bulletin. This decree was signed by President Milei, Minister of Economy Luis Caputo, and Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation Federico Sturzenegger, among others.
Last week, the government announced the dissolution of the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI), which will be replaced by the resurrected Intelligence Secretariat of the State.
This move has raised concerns among authoritarian figures. The professionalism and critical approach of journalism is a cornerstone of democracy, which irritates those who believe they possess the ultimate truth.
Officials explained that it was essential to allocate budget provisions to support the initial actions for reorganizing the National Intelligence System and ensuring the proper functioning of the relevant decentralized bodies. The main purpose of these funds is to enhance the National Intelligence System to secure the safety, defense, and integrity of Argentina. The budget will be designated for the Argentine Intelligence Service, the National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity Agency, and the Internal Affairs Division.
They noted the necessity of establishing the funds’ confidential nature due to their intended purpose, asserting that publicizing this information would hinder the normal operations of the institutions within the system. They concluded that the exceptional nature of the situation makes it impossible to follow the usual procedures outlined in the National Constitution for passing laws.
Following the intervention of the agency on December 12, 2023, the government decided to dissolve the AFI. Consequently, the governing body of the National Intelligence System became the Intelligence Secretariat of the State, now led by Sergio Neiffert.
This was announced through a decree signed by President Javier Milei. In a statement, the presidency argued that the AFI had completely lost its original role over the decades and had been misused for improper activities such as internal surveillance, influence peddling, and political persecution.
According to the government, “without effective oversight, which has been lacking for years, the proliferation of such conduct represented a debt to the democratic and republican system that we are now beginning to address.”
They further explained that the new intelligence system would consist of four agencies under the direction of the SIDE. Sergio Neiffert, who was recently appointed as the intervening director of the AFI after the departure of Silvestre Sívori and former Chief of Cabinet Nicolás Posse, would lead these efforts.
In this way, the creation of the Intelligence Secretariat of the State, directly dependent on the President, will allow for operational control of the four newly established agencies. The goal is to transform and modernize the intelligence system while promoting excellence and professionalism in its operations.
Source: https://www.perfil.com/noticias/politica/el-gobierno-amplio-el-presupuesto-2024-y-destino-100-mil-millones-a-la-side.phtml
