Argentina's intelligence agency denounced for having spent 80% of a $102 million supplemental - in three weeks

Argentine Congressman Maximiliano Ferraro, of the centrist Civic Coalition, denounced the country's State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) for having already spent 80% of the 100 billion pesos ($102 million) supplemental earmark decreed to the agency by far-right President Javier Milei on July 23rd.

"In just three weeks, 80% of the 100 billion pesos assigned to reserved and secret expenses of the Intelligence Secretariat were spent - funds that the Government assigned itself by way of a decree. These funds are being used without control or any legal justification, with absolute discretion," Ferraro warned.

The spending spree comes as the rest of the federal budget is subjected to unprecedented cutbacks of some 32% in real terms during the first half of 2024 - with the broader economy in a deep "Mileise" recession partly as a result.

"They are squandering 3 million dollars a day on espionage. This, in addition to being dangerous, is deeply immoral," Ferraro lamented.

SIDE gig

Milei, a week earlier, decreed the overhaul of the former Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI) into a secretariat directly under his orders by decree, granting the agency more hierarchy and power.

It was likewise returned to a State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) designation - the disgraced agency that operated between 1946 and 2001.

Officially run by a high-school graduate, Sergio Neiffert, SIDE is in fact controlled by Neiffert's close friend: presidential advisor and former right-wing internet troll Santiago Caputo.

The 39 year-old is a third cousin of Milei's freewheeling Finance Minister, Luis Caputo - whom Milei appointed despite his central role in the 2018 foreign debt "Macrisis" collapse.

The namesake of the 2018 debt crisis, former President Mauricio Macri, had similarly classified most AFI budgets as "reserved" - culminating in the 2019 d'Alessio scandal involving an AFI (and CIA) asset, Marcelo d'Alessio, and a far-reaching extortion and shakedown scheme brought down when his last would-be victim, organic berry farmer Pedro Etchebest, recorded their conversations.

At: https://www-politicargentina-com.translate.goog/notas/202408/60288-denuncian-que-la-side-ya-gasto-el-80-de-los--100-mil-millones-extra-de-fondos-que-le-dio-javier-milei.html?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Smile, you're on camera: Presidential propagandist Santiago Caputo takes a selfie with far-right Argentine President Javier Milei (second from right) and other officials during one of Milei's numerous visits to the U.S. earlier this year.

The young erstwhile internet troll is now unofficially in charge of Argentina's intelligence agency - which was recently returned to its disgraced SIDE designation by decree, as well as placed under closer presidential control.

Milei similarly expanded its budget by over $100 million - which the agency, with its history of corruption, cover-ups and warrantless eavesdropping, has already spent $80 million of in merely three weeks.