Government’s new intelligence chief lays off 130 on his first day

The government has named Cristian Auguadra as head of the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE, by its Spanish initials), replacing Sergio Neiffert. The measure was announced on Tuesday and later published in the Official Gazette. Around 130 SIDE employees who had been hired during Neiffert’s tenure were laid off on Wednesday, just hours after Auguadra’s appointment.  The SIDE was reinstated as a secretariat in July 2024 after years of operating as an agency, which meant it was smaller and less powerful. Neiffert was its first secretary.  The name “SIDE” had become associated with atrocities of the dictatorship, when the intelligence services were involved in the regime’s kidnappings, torture and enforced disappearances. Since Cristina Kirchner’s presidency, it had been operating as the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI).  However, Milei converted the agency back into a secretariat and changed its name back to SIDE, arguing that the AFI had also been used for “spurious purposes, such as internal espionage, influence peddling, and political and ideological persecution.” After Neiffert led the relaunch, organizing the SIDE and creating its structure, Auguadra was appointed to oversee a second phase of the restructure involving “institutional transformation,” involving modernization of the bureau’s procedures, according to an official statement. Auguadra had been working as the SIDE’s head of internal affairs for the past year. He is close to President Javier Milei’s main advisor, Santiago Caputo, who has significant influence in the SIDE. He also had close ties with Neiffert, but their relationship had reportedly grown tense. Neiffert finally resigned on Tuesday, after attending the appointment of new Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva. His departure was announced on Tuesday night. Auguadra is an accountant who has worked for Caputo’s father, Claudio, as well as Claudio Caputo’s cousin, Nicolás Caputo, according to La Nación. As head of the SIDE’s Internal Affairs Division, he was in charge of auditing the performance of the office and its staff. His appointment happened just hours after the government increased the SIDE’s budget by AR$26 billion (roughly US$17 million), most of it destined to paying salaries. Soon after the new SIDE’s creation, the government granted it a US$100 million budget for confidential purposes, which the secretariat later had to return after Congress voted against the move. The government has since granted it more funds on several occasions, arguing that the existing budget was not enough to cover costs.