Buenos Aires, March 6, 2026 (NA) - The Argentine Air Force, through the III Air Brigade based in Reconquista (Santa Fe), closed a swap for 'various tools' in which it handed over a complete batch of residual assets—including two GM 567 generators, a Deutz generator set, Mercedes-Benz vehicles (bus and dump truck), two Renault Trafic, a Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup truck, a Clark forklift, and two boats with Johnson motors—in exchange for a package of tools whose core is four brushcutters. The nickname 'Mr. Scrap,' which Javier Milei used to define Argentine businessman Paolo Rocca in another public fight, seems tailor-made for this case: here the 'scrap' is literal, and the exchange of heavy iron for common-use tools resulted in million-dollar losses for the State. According to what the Argentine News Agency (NA) learned, the procedure was framed as Direct Contract No. 40/19-0103-CDI25 under the orbit of the Ministry of Defense, led by Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti. The counterparty to the swap is a private individual: Miguel Ángel Barolín.
What the State Delivered The lot included six vehicles, two boats, a Deutz generator set, and two GM 567 generators. With an official dollar rate of $1,425: total $9,975,000; 'rescue' value 50% = $4,987,500. With this, the state lot is valued between $19,590,950 (low copper) and $21,990,950 (high copper).
How Much the State Lost Low scenario: $19,590,950 - $9,397,888.93 = $10,193,061.07 High scenario: $21,990,950 - $9,397,888.93 = $12,593,061.07 In plain terms: even accepting that it's 'residual' and that the assignee takes care of the removal, the picture is brutally simple: Mercedes-Benz + GM + Deutz + Johnson boats in exchange for four brushcutters and a tool combo.
