Ministry of Defense
Ministerio de Defensa

Libertador Building, headquarters of the Ministry
Ministry overview
Formed1854 (1854)
Preceding Ministry
JurisdictionGovernment of Argentina
HeadquartersLibertador Building, Azopardo 250, Buenos Aires
Annual budget$ 246,143,974,961 (2021)[1]
Minister responsible
Websiteargentina.gob.ar/defensa

The Ministry of Defense (Spanish: Ministerio de Defensa; MINDEF) of Argentina is a ministry of the national executive power that oversees and advises on matters of national defense, including overseeing the Argentine Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defense is one of the oldest ministries in the Argentine government, having existed continuously since the formation of the first Argentine executive in 1854, in the presidency of Justo José de Urquiza (then known as the Ministry of War). The incumbent minister is Luis Petri, who has served since 10 December 2023 in the cabinet of Javier Milei.

History

Traditionally the minister of Defense, as the Joint chiefs of Staff (Spanish: Estado Mayor Conjunto) which traces back its origin to 1948 had a minor role in all armed forces activities, relegating key decisions to the respectives chiefs of staff.[2]

A major change came into effect on 12 June 2006 when President Néstor Kirchner brought into effect the Defense Law, which had been passed in 1988 as a means to modernize the doctrine of the armed forces and define their role, although successive governments had failed to put it into effect.

The law states that the armed forces will only be used against foreign aggression, and reduces the powers of the heads of the armed services, centralizing whole operational and acquisitions decisions under the authority of the minister of Defense through the Armed Forces Joint General Staff emphasizing Jointness[3]

Structure

  • Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas (EMC): Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces
  • Secretaría de Estrategia y Asuntos Militares: Strategy and Military Affairs Secretary
  • Secretaría de Planeamiento: Planning Secretary
  • Secretaría de Asuntos Internacionales de la Defensa: Defense Foreign Affairs Secretary
  • Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia Estratégica Militar: National Directory for Military Intelligence
  • Dirección Nacional de Derechos Humanos y el Derecho Internacional Humanitario: National Directory for Human Rights
  • CITEDEF (former CITEFA)
  • Industrial Complex: (FMA, Fabricaciones Militares, Tandanor/Domecq Garcia)

List of ministers

No. Minister Party Term President
Ministry of War and the Navy (1854–1898)
1 Rudecindo Alvarado Unitarian Party 5 March 1854 – 7 November 1854 Justo José de Urquiza
2 José Miguel Galán Federalist Party 7 November 1854 – 5 March 1860
3 Benjamín Victorica Federalist Party 5 March 1860 – 5 November 1861 Santiago Derqui
4 Pastor Obligado Nationalist Party December 1851 – 12 October 1862 Bartolomé Mitre
5 Juan Andrés Gelly y Obes Nationalist Party 12 October 1862 – November 1867
6 Wenceslao Paunero Nationalist Party 1 February 1868 – 12 October 1868
7 Martín de Gainza Nationalist Party 12 October 1868 – 12 October 1874 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
8 Adolfo Alsina National Autonomist Party 12 October 1874 – 29 December 1877 Nicolás Avellaneda
9 Julio Argentino Roca National Autonomist Party 4 January 1878 – 9 October 1879
10 Carlos Pellegrini National Autonomist Party 9 October 1879 – 12 October 1880
11 Benjamín Victorica National Autonomist Party 12 October 1880 – 11 July 1885 Julio Argentino Roca
12 Carlos Pellegrini National Autonomist Party 11 July 1885 – 12 October 1886
13 Nicolás Levalle Independent (Military) 12 October 1886 – 15 January 1887 Miguel Juárez Celman
14 Eduardo Racedo National Autonomist Party 15 January 1887 – 12 April 1890
15 Nicolás Levalle Independent (Military) 18 April 1890 – 6 August 1890
6 August 1890 – 12 October 1892 Carlos Pellegrini
16 Benjamín Victorica National Autonomist Party 12 October 1892 – 7 June 1893 Luis Sáenz Peña
17 Joaquín Viejobueno Independent (Military) 7 June 1893 – 27 June 1893
18 Eudoro Balsa National Autonomist Party 27 June 1893 – 5 July 1893
19 Aristóbulo del Valle Radical Civic Union 5 July 1893 – 12 August 1893
20 Luis María Campos Independent (Military) 12 August 1893 – 7 November 1894
21 Eudoro Balsa National Autonomist Party 7 November 1894 – 23 January 1895
23 January 1895 – 29 August 1895 José Evaristo Uriburu
22 Guillermo Villanueva Independent 29 August 1895 – 19 May 1897
23 Nicolás Levalle Independent (Military) 19 May 1897 – 12 October 1898
Ministry of War (1898–1949)
24 Luis María Campos Independent (Military) 12 October 1898 – 8 August 1899 Julio Argentino Roca
25 Rosendo Fraga National Autonomist Party 8 August 1899 – 13 July 1900
26 Pablo Ricchieri Independent (Military) 13 July 1900 – 12 October 1904
27 Enrique Godoy National Autonomist Party 12 October 1904 – 12 March 1906 Manuel Quintana
28 Luis María Campos Independent (Military) 14 March 1906 – 5 July 1906 José Figueroa Alcorta
29 Rosendo Fraga National Autonomist Party 5 July 1906 – 11 July 1907
30 Rafael María Aguirre Independent (Military) 11 July 1907 – 2 March 1910
31 Eduardo Racedo National Autonomist Party 2 March 1910 – 12 October 1910
32 Gregorio Vélez Independent (Military) 12 October 1910 – 12 February 1914 Roque Sáenz Peña
33 Ángel Allaria Independent (Military) 16 February 1914 – 9 August 1914
9 August 1914 – 12 October 1916 Victorino de la Plaza
34 Elpidio González Radical Civic Union 12 October 1916 – 14 September 1918 Hipólito Yrigoyen
35 Julio Moreno Radical Civic Union 14 September 1918 – 12 October 1922
36 Agustín Pedro Justo Radical Civic Union 12 October 1922 – 12 October 1928 Marcelo T. de Alvear
37 Luis Dellepiane Radical Civic Union 12 October 1928 – 6 September 1930 Hipólito Yrigoyen
38 Francisco Medina Independent (Military) 6 September 1930 – 20 February 1932 José Félix Uriburu
39 Manuel A. Rodríguez Independent (Military) 20 February 1932 – 24 February 1936 Agustín Pedro Justo
40 Basilio Pertiné Independent (Military) 30 March 1936 – 20 February 1938
41 Carlos Márquez Independent (Military) 20 February 1938 – 27 June 1942 Roberto M. Ortiz
42 Juan Nerón Tonazzi Independent (Military) 27 June 1942 – 16 November 1942 Ramón S. Castillo
43 Pedro Pablo Ramírez Independent (Military) 16 November 1942 – 4 June 1943
44 Edelmiro Farrell Independent (Military) 7 June 1943 – 24 February 1944 Pedro Pablo Ramírez
45 Juan Domingo Perón Independent (Military) 24 February 1944 – 9 March 1944
9 March 1944 – 8 October 1945 Edelmiro Farrell
46 Eduardo Ávalos Independent (Military) 8 October 1945 – 17 October 1945
47 Humberto Sosa Molina Independent (Military) 18 October 1945 – 4 June 1946
4 June 1946 – 11 March 1949 Juan Domingo Perón
Ministry of Defense (1949–1955)
47 Humberto Sosa Molina Independent (Military) 11 March 1949 – 21 September 1955 Juan Domingo Perón
Ministry of War (1955–1958)
48 Héctor Solanas Pacheco Independent (Military) 1 May 1958 – 18 June 1958 Arturo Frondizi
Ministry of National Defense (1958–1981)
49 Gabriel del Mazo Radical Civic Union 18 June 1958 – 24 June 1959 Arturo Frondizi
50 Justo Policarpo Villar Radical Civic Union 25 June 1959 – 26 March 1962
51 Rodolfo Martínez Christian Democratic Party 26 March 1962 – 29 March 1962
52 Ernesto J. Lanusse Radical Civic Union 29 March 1962 – 30 April 1962 José María Guido
53 José Luis Cantilo Radical Civic Union 30 April 1962 – 30 August 1962
54 Adolfo Lanús Radical Civic Union 30 August 1962 – 5 October 1962
55 José Manuel Astigueta Independent 5 October 1962 – 12 October 1963
56 Leopoldo Suárez Radical Civic Union 12 October 1963 – 28 June 1966 Arturo Illia
57 Antonio Lanusse Independent 28 June 1966 – 11 March 1967 Juan Carlos Onganía
58 Emilio van Peborgh Independent 24 March 1967 – 8 June 1969
59 José Cáceres Monié MID 28 June 1969 – 18 June 1970
18 June 1970 – 22 March 1971 Roberto Marcelo Levingston
22 March 1971 – 9 May 1972 Alejandro Lanusse
60 Eduardo Aguirre Obarrio Independent 9 May 1972 – 25 May 1973
61 Ángel Robledo Justicialist Party 25 May 1973 – 13 July 1973 Héctor Cámpora
13 July 1973 – 12 October 1973 Raúl Lastiri
12 October 1973 – 1 July 1974 Juan Domingo Perón
1 July 1974 – 13 August 1974 Isabel Perón
62 Adolfo M. Savino Independent 14 August 1974 – 11 July 1975
63 Jorge Garrido Independent 11 July 1975 – 16 September 1975
64 Tomás Vottero Independent 16 September 1975 – 15 January 1976
65 Ricardo Guardo Justicialist Party 22 January 1976 – 8 March 1976
66 José Deheza Justicialist Party 12 March 1976 – 24 March 1976
67 José María Klix Independent (Military) 29 March 1976 – 30 October 1978 Jorge Rafael Videla
68 David de la Riva Independent (Military) 5 November 1978 – 29 March 1981
69 Norberto Couto Independent (Military) 29 March 1981 – 12 December 1981 Roberto Viola
Ministry of Defense (1981–Present)
70 Amadeo Frúgoli Independent 22 December 1981 – 1 July 1982 Leopoldo Galtieri
71 Julio Martínez Vivot Independent 2 July 1982 – 10 December 1983 Reynaldo Bignone
72 Raúl Borrás Radical Civic Union 10 December 1983 – 27 May 1985 Raúl Alfonsín
73 Roque Carranza Radical Civic Union 27 May 1985 – 8 February 1986
74 Germán López Radical Civic Union 8 February 1986 – 2 June 1986
75 Horacio Jaunarena Radical Civic Union 2 June 1986 – 8 July 1989
76 Ítalo Lúder Justicialist Party 8 July 1989 – 26 January 1990 Carlos Menem
77 Humberto Romero Justicialist Party 26 January 1990 – 31January 1991
78 Guido Di Tella Justicialist Party 31 January 1991 – 1 March 1991
79 Antonio Erman González Justicialist Party 1 March 1991 – 9 December 1993
80 Oscar Camilión MID 9 December 1993 – 7 August 1996
81 Jorge Domínguez Justicialist Party 7 August 1996 – 10 December 1999
81 Ricardo López Murphy Radical Civic Union 10 December 1999 – 5 March 2001 Fernando de la Rúa
82 Horacio Jaunarena Radical Civic Union 5 March 2001 – 21 December 2001
83 José María Vernet Justicialist Party 23 December 2001 – 30 December 2001 Adolfo Rodríguez Saá
84 Horacio Jaunarena Radical Civic Union 3 January 2002 – 25 May 2003 Eduardo Duhalde
85 José Pampuro Justicialist Party 25 May 2003 – 1 December 2005 Néstor Kirchner
86 Nilda Garré Broad Front 1 December 2005 – 10 December 2007
10 December 2007 – 15 December 2010 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
87 Arturo Puricelli Justicialist Party 15 December 2010 – 30 May 2013
88 Agustín Rossi Justicialist Party 30 May 2013 – 10 December 2015
89 Julio Martínez Radical Civic Union 10 December 2015 – 17 July 2017 Mauricio Macri
90 Oscar Aguad Radical Civic Union 17 July 2017 – 10 December 2019
91 Agustín Rossi Justicialist Party 10 December 2019 – 10 August 2021 Alberto Fernández
92 Jorge Taiana Justicialist Party 10 August 2021 – 10 December 2023
93 Luis Petri Radical Civic Union 10 December 2023 – Present Javier Milei

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Presupuesto 2021". Ministerio de Economía (in Spanish). 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. ↑ RESEÑA HISTÓRICA DEL ESTADO MAYOR CONJUNTO Archived 2010-01-26 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Reglamentación de la ley de defensa".
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