Argentina's Foreign Minister Defends English Language Training Contract Amid Conflict of Interest Allegations

Buenos Aires - February 15, 2026 - Total News Agency - TNA. - Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno came out publicly to defuse suspicions of a conflict of interest surrounding a contract from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Culture for $114,044,133 with the Argentine Association of English Culture (AACI), whose executive director is María Josefina Rouillet, wife of the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger. In this case, it was argued that the AACI would be the "only provider" capable of guaranteeing continuity due to its track record and previous experience in similar training within the ministry. The process registered a single offer, presented by the winning entity itself, for the same amount finally awarded. The contract is for nine months, with an option for an extension of an equivalent term. Quirno himself stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' link with the AACI is not new: he claimed that his portfolio has been contracting that institution "since 2018" to train personnel in the English language. At the heart of the public debate is the "integrity procedure". Quirno stated that it was activated with the intervention of SIGEN and OA, and that the file was made available with transparency criteria. For critics, the point is not only whether the procedure was followed, but whether the State should avoid this type of award even when they are formally framed. With the contract already awarded and the controversy installed, the discussion now moves to the political arena and, eventually, to possible requests for reports or additional reviews. Quirno chose the path of a frontal defense: he guaranteed the continuity of the service, invoked the controls, and attributed the criticisms to amplified questioning on social networks. On the political plane, the discussion rested on two axes: the formal legality of the contracting and the public ethics linked to the appearance of a conflict of interest. In parallel, the dissemination of the file revived a technical debate: how exceptional the modality used is, how "specialty" is defined to justify a single offer, and what is the standard of transparency required when there is a direct family relationship with national authorities. In a climate of increasing scrutiny over public contracts, the episode became a stress test for the official narrative of integrity, transparency, and austerity in the State. In particular, he cited article 4, inciso b, of Decree 2017/2017 to support the publicity of the actions, a point that the ruling party presents as proof of reinforced control. In a series of messages disseminated on social networks, the head of diplomacy stated that "there is absolutely no irregularity" and argued that, due to the family relationship, the mechanism provided for these cases was activated with the intervention of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Nation (SIGEN) and the Anticorruption Office (OA). The service provision includes a total quota of 133 agents to be trained during 2026, including regular courses and workshops for diplomatic personnel from the National Institute of Foreign Service (ISEN), as well as leveling instances.