In a surprise move, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner replaced the top heads of the armed forces and appointed Brigadier General Luis María Carena as the new head of the joint chiefs of staff.
Carena replaces Jorge Alberto Chevalier, and Division General César Milani will assume instead of Lieutenant General Luis Alberto Pozzi.
Admiral Gastón Fernando Erice will replace Daniel Alberto Enrique Martín as the new head of the Army, while Mayor Brigadier Mario Miguel Callejo is going to command the Air Force.
President Cristina Kirchner and the new Minister of Defence Agustín Rossi thanked the leaving generals in an official document, where they expressed their gratitude “to those who accomplished in this time such important responsibilities, putting all their energy, their intelligence and capability to the service of the Homeland”.
The document included a special mention for Brigadier General Chevalier “who accompanied us during the last decade, and was part of the first changes impulsed by Néstor Kirchner when he just took office”.
However, this sudden change might be connected not only to Rossi’s new position but with Nilda Garré, former minister of Defence, who left office a month ago.
Earlier today, the Kirchnerite officials tried to approved without success, Congress authorization for Garre’s designation as the new ambassador in the Organization of Americans States (OAS).
Source: Buenos Aires Herald