Overview
- The government published Decreto 1021/2026 on Wednesday, September 16, formally replacing the personnel regime for the Secretaría de Inteligencia de Estado (SIDE) and attaching a new Estatuto del Personal de Inteligencia.
- The statute mandates annual open convocatorias to the Escuela Nacional de Inteligencia (ENI), approval of a Curso Básico de Ingreso, a probationary conditional year before permanent appointment, and three educational 'cuadros' to classify staff.
- Promotion rules shift from seniority to merit by requiring minimum time in grade, psychophysical checks, mandatory training and favorable performance evaluations and explicitly state there will be no automatic promotions.
- The new regime imposes strict lifelong secrecy obligations, incompatibilities on outside work, travel and residency controls, psychophysical and counterintelligence checks, and an inspectorate-run disciplinary system.
- Officials present the change as depoliticizing and professionalizing the service but former agents and opposition legislators question whether it will curb centralized powers granted earlier by DNU 941/2025 and say it will trigger closer congressional scrutiny of appointments, budgets and reserved funds.