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Who is Lisandro Catalán, Francos' right-hand man who will command the Ministry of the Interior after the changes in the Cabinet - Infobae
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Quién es Lisandro Catalán, la mano derecha de Francos que comandará la Secretaría del Interior tras los cambios en el Gabinete
Amigo desde hace años del jefe de Gabinete, fue funcionario del Ministerio de Justicia en el gobierno de Alberto Fernández, pero había ingresado durante el macrismo. Trabajó con su mentor en el Banco Provincia con Scioli y formó la Fundación Acordar. Encargado del armado político de La Libertad...
www.infobae.com
May 28, 2024
A friend of the Chief of Staff for years, he was an official in the Ministry of Justice in the government of Alberto Fernández, but had joined during the Macri administration. He worked with his mentor at Banco Provincia with Scioli and formed the Acordar Foundation. In charge of the political assembly of La Libertad Avanza, he works hand in hand with Lule Menem, Karina Milei's main advisor, and with Santiago Caputo
By Brenda Struminger
Guillermo Francos with Lisandro Catalán, the new Secretary of the Interior
Most of the ministers participated in the delegation at Javier Milei's event in Córdoba for May 25, on Saturday. But there was one exception. The head of the Interior, Guillermo Francos, sent an official of his extreme confidence to the advance, his friend and second in command of the Ministry of the Interior, Lisandro Catalán, with whom he had worked side by side at the Banco Provincia under sciolism and whom he chose to take charge, starting tomorrow, of the Ministry of the Interior.
The decision to leave the political secretary in the hands of Catalán, a change derived from the ejection of Nicolás Posse , was considered natural in the Government. Francos has a very close relationship with the official, who during the first six months of his mandate accompanied him in the offices on the ground floor of the Casa Rosada every day, participated in almost all the meetings with governors and legislators and acted as a link with the shipowners of all parties in the provinces. He also, and especially, with a view to the armed support of the next legislative elections.
Francos and Catalán have a relationship of absolute trust. They worked together at Banco Provincia, and those who know them say that Francos “loves him like a nephew.” Last year, when the diplomat had just left his position at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, to fully immerse himself in Milei's campaign, he immediately called Catalán, who shortly after, without hesitation, began to collaborate. with the cause. And once Milei won the Presidency, he was given a fundamental role both in the convocation of political cadres and in the transition process with Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro, the official closest to Cristina Kirchner, who had led the portfolio during the four previous years.
At that time, almost all the libertarian leaders were working on structuring the new administration, distributed in various offices in the north and center of the City. Catalán bustled with Francos, from meeting to meeting, the Centro Empresarial Libertador megatower, in Núñez, where the libertarians had temporarily rented a floor to prepare the foundations of the new administration. Among others, the collaborators of the future Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello, worked there.
A lawyer graduated from the University of Tucumán, the province where he was born and lived, Catalán moved to Buenos Aires to practice the profession in 1997. He worked with Francos at Banco Provincia during the first term of Daniel Scioli, between 2006 and 2007, and has a close relationship with the former governor, which has deepened since Francos added the former Peronist ambassador to his ranks as Secretary of Tourism.
Francos, Posse, Catalán and Martín Menem in the Casa Rosada, before the changes in the Cabinet
In 2012, Catalán supported the current Chief of Staff in the creation of the Fundación Acordar think tank , as coordinator of technical teams. And in 2016, during the government of Mauricio Macri, he entered the National Registry of Recidivism. In 2020 he was named director of the area under the command of Marcela Losardo, and continued in 2021, when Alberto Fernández's friend was replaced by Cristina Kirchner's bishop, Martín Soria. With a more technical than political profile, he retained the position even when it was learned that he joined the libertarian project that belonged to Unión por la Patria. They say that his relationship with the ultra-Kirchnerist Soria remained on good terms, through calls.
In these months, with Francos dedicated full time to the negotiations for the Bases Law, it was left in the hands of Catalán, in addition to management, the structuring of La Libertad Avanza throughout the country, Karina Milei's main goal. Discreetly, she operated in private meetings with district leaders, in permanent contact with “Lule” Menem, and with Javier Milei's consultant and friend, Santiago Caputo, who entered and left her office practically daily, several times a day. day.
Catalán was in Córdoba staying at the central Windsor Hotel on Friday, awaiting the arrival of Milei and his ministers scheduled for the next day. Then there were already strong rumors that Posse would leave his place, and that Francos could succeed him, but the President had not yet made the final decision. For 24 hours, the official alternated monitoring the Cabinet crisis and monitoring the preparation of the May 25 event on site, in communication with the national deputy, block head and trusted local shipowner of Karina Milei, Gabriel Bornoroni, who was also in the capital of Cordoba.
On Friday night, hours before the President's event in Plaza San Martín, he was still in communication with Bornoroni, interested in how the call for the staging was. And the next day they arrived on stage together, walking briskly along San Jerónimo Street that borders the square, also accompanied by the PRO deputy, Laura Rodríguez Machado.
At that time it was almost a certainty that Francos could take over in Posse's place, and Catalán's name appeared as the number one to succeed him. The decision was confirmed last night, after 9 p.m. And starting tomorrow, the promoted official will begin to outline the profile he will give to the Interior, which was demoted from Ministry to Secretariat. The most likely thing, while the Government continues trying to get the Bases law passed in the Senate, is that the dialogic imprint that Francos gave to the relationship with the governors and legislators will continue intact.
