Milei Fires 12 Olivos Residence Staff, Hands Security to Armed Forces

The entrance to the Quinta de Olivos, Argentina's presidential residence. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

By The Editors · September 18, 2026 · 2 min read

Key Facts

The dismissals:12 civilian employees at the Quinta de Olivos were let go on September 17.
The new authority:The Casa Militar, led by Brigadier General Sebastian Ibanez, now controls all security and domestic operations at the residence.
The stated reason:The government cites rising global insecurity and preparations for Pope Leo XIV's visit to Argentina.
The unofficial reason:Multiple outlets report internal suspicion of information leaks from the president's private meetings, though no evidence has been made public.
The timeline:The government has set a transition period of up to 60 days to complete the handover.

President Milei's government dismissed 12 civilian employees at his official residence, the Quinta de Olivos, on September 17 and transferred full control of security, access and domestic staffing there to the armed forces' Casa Militar, ending nearly a century of civilian administration at the property.

The government's official communique said the change is meant to "elevate the standards of efficiency and security for the President and his circle," pointing to rising global insecurity and the logistical demands of Pope Leo XIV's planned visit to Argentina, which is expected to bring a heavy flow of outside construction and service workers onto the grounds.

What Changed

The reorganization dissolves the General Administration of the Presidential Residence of Olivos, the civilian body that has run the property's staffing and upkeep. Osvaldo Sosa, the residence's longtime administrator, had already been removed from his post two weeks earlier. Brigadier General Sebastian Ibanez, head of the Casa Militar, now oversees security, access control and domestic operations at the residence, with a transition period of up to 60 days to complete the handover. Some of the displaced employees were reassigned to other government offices, including the Casa Rosada, while cleaning and kitchen staff are expected to remain civilian hires for now.

Espionage Question

Argentine outlets including Infobae, La Nacion and Pagina 12 reported that the dismissals followed internal suspicions that residence staff had leaked details from the president's private meetings, though none has published concrete evidence of espionage. Sources close to Olivos described the espionage theory skeptically, telling reporters it was pushed by Mario Suli, a close adviser to Milei, rather than backed by a documented security breach. The government's public statements have stuck to the official framing of routine security modernization rather than confirming any leak investigation.

The shift also concentrates control over the president's daily environment more tightly within his inner circle: Casa Militar reports through channels close to Karina Milei, the President's sister and General Secretary, reinforcing a pattern in which key logistical and security functions around Milei have moved from career civilian administrators toward personnel answering directly to his closest aides.