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Original article: Audios, “3% para Karina” y coimas: Milei desarma la Agencia Nacional de Discapacidad

The administration of Argentine President Javier Milei has decided to dissolve the National Disability Agency (Andis) as an autonomous entity amidst a growing judicial investigation into bribery linked to medication purchases and severe budget cuts in the sector during 2025.

The agency, which became infamous alongside the «three percent for Karina» phrase from leaked audio involving its former director Diego Spagnuolo, will be downgraded to a Disability Directorate within the Ministry of Health, losing its autonomy and cross-cutting capabilities.

The leaked recordings indicate a suspected bribery network mentioning figures such as Martín Menem—President of the Chamber of Deputies, son of former senator Eduardo Menem, and nephew of former President Carlos Menem—as well as his cousin Eduardo «Lule» Menem, currently the Deputy Secretary of Institutional Management under Karina Milei, General Secretary of the Presidency and sister of the president, who is also implicated in the scandal.

All three have been identified as beneficiaries of contributions required from pharmaceutical laboratories to secure government contracts.

The announcement concerning the dissolution of Andis was made by Chief of Cabinet Manuel Adorni during the last press conference of the year, signifying the end of a cycle marked by corruption scandals and austerity measures.

“Andis, as we know it, will cease to exist,” stated Adorni, justifying the action by emphasizing the need to “eliminate layers of bureaucratic inefficiency, administrative chaos, and actions incompatible with a transparent policy.” He cited examples of “improperly awarded pensions,” “doctors endorsing processes without clinical backing,” and organizations that billed despite not providing services (SIC).

However, the Chief of Cabinet failed to mention the main judicial investigation overshadowing the agency: the inquiry into bribes that pharmaceutical executives allegedly paid to Andis officials, as documented in the case led by prosecutor Franco Picardi and judge Sebastián Casanello in Comodoro Py.

In fact, last week, one of the defendants, Ornella Calvete, testified regarding price gouging in the medication procurement process, as reported by Página/12.

Dissolution of Andis Amid Budget Cuts and Judicial Pressure

The absence of Andis occurs in a context of severe budget cuts. The 2026 budget goals outlined by the «libertarian» government foresee a reduction of nearly 200,000 beneficiaries of disability pensions, a plan that Adorni has denied, but which is part of the agreement made between Milei and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This adjustment had already been considered by Spagnuolo before the scandal erupted, and several judicial rulings, including those from federal courts in Formosa and La Rioja, ordered it to be reversed. So far, the government has complied temporarily, waiting for the completion of the infamous audit on the system, which—according to información from Página/12—doesn’t even have a proposed completion date.

Additionally, Adorni and other officials are under a ruling from the federal court of Campana that granted them five business days last week to fully implement the Disability Emergency Law, warning of fines and possible criminal investigation for non-compliance. The Rosada attempted unsuccessfully to dismiss the judge in the case, Adrián González Charvay, and also failed to repeal the law through the budget.

Drastic Reductions and More Job Cuts

According to information released by the Ministry of Health, a reduction of 45.7% in the hierarchical structure of the former agency is expected. Alejandro Vilches, the appointee following Spagnuolo’s departure, will remain in the position. In the midst of this process, over 300 layoffs have already occurred, with another expected batch of between 30 and 60 terminations in the coming days.

“We’ve already been dismantled, so now we will operate according to the powers that remain to the agency, which are almost nonexistent,” a union source from the now-former agency told this paper. Andis shares the fate of other “disposable” entities under the Milei administration, such as the former Ministry of Women, INADI, or the former Ministry of Social Development.

Concerns Among Organizations and Erosion of Rights

Among the primary concerns of sector organizations is the discontinuation of the Board of the Basic Benefits System, a crucial parity space that sets the hourly rates for services throughout the system. The executive branch has not convened it for over a year, eliminating a crucial channel for citizen participation.

Beyond the current situation, the measure reveals the official view on disability. The Health Ministry’s statement indicates that the restructuring was done “to ensure that disability policies effectively fulfill their health purpose.” This perspective, which reduces disability to a medical issue, represents a significant step backwards from the social rights model established by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Argentina adopted constitutionally in 2008. This treaty advocates for autonomous bodies capable of coordinating policies across sectors (health, education, social inclusion).

“Disability should not be associated with health. Disability is not an illness. We have fought for many years against the medical model that reduces us to sick individuals. We are not sick. We need a government that levels the playing field, attentive to support for independent living. It makes me want to send them back to school,” stated Ana Dones from REDI (Network for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), one of the oldest organizations in the community.

“In these years, we have seen it all, but never this level of viciousness,” Dones added. “In the wake of the bribery scandal, they made the easiest decision: to eliminate Andis. Deep down, what they really want is that: to make us disappear,” she remarked.

Once the restructuring decree is published in the Official Bulletin, it is expected that the measure will be subject to judicial review. Organizations such as ACIJ, CELS, APDH, and REDI, among others, are already evaluating their next steps, arguing that it violates the International Convention. Meanwhile, the bribery investigation continues, reminding us that under the banner of “dismantling the state,” they also sweep the traces of corruption under the rug, which still awaits punishment.

La entrada Milei Disbands National Disability Agency Amid Corruption Scandal and Budget Cuts se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.