Overview
- Decree 869/2025 published in the Official Gazette formalizes Luis Petri’s resignation and appoints Lt. Gen. Carlos Alberto Presti to the post.
- Presti, the 59-year-old Army chief, becomes the first military officer to head the ministry since the democratic restoration.
- Petri’s departure takes effect December 9, and he is set to take his Mendoza seat in the Chamber of Deputies on December 10.
- The exit follows the public presentation of the first F-16 fighters acquired from Denmark, which Petri touts as the most significant military purchase in four decades, with reports citing 24 aircraft for about $300 million.
- Petri said he will travel to Antarctica on December 9 to close his tenure before moving to Congress.