Two key figures from the Ministry of Labor, Miguel Ángel Ponte and Luis Palomino, have submitted their resignations, creating vacancies in strategic areas of the organization led by Julio Cordero, under the oversight of Human Capital Minister, Sandra Pettovello. Ponte, who held the position of Employment Secretary, was the main proponent of the labor reform included in Decree of Necessity and Urgency 70/23, leaving his position to fully assume the presidency of the Institute of Growth, a think tank focused on the promotion of principles of life, liberty, and property.
For his part, Palomino, national director of the Executor Union of the Return to Work Program, which manages the ex-Potenciar Trabajo plans, has decided to return to his seat as a councilor in Vicente López with the intention of advancing his political career in the district ahead of the 2027 elections.
The resignations come two months after Claudia Testa arrived as Deputy Secretary of Labor of the Nation. In his resignation letter, he expressed his commitment to the "cultural battle" in the municipality, promoting state deregulation and tax reduction.
During his tenure in the Return to Work Program, Palomino implemented a freeze on the amount of the Potenciar Trabajo plan at $78,000, removed the requirement for a four-hour daily counterpart, and promoted training centers for job insertion. In his time under Mauricio Macri’s administration, Ponte was involved in a controversy over a statement about labor rotation.
Ponte argued in his resignation letter that his departure is due to "personal reasons" and the need to concentrate on the Institute of Growth, with the goal of consolidating support for government management in 2025. Testa, current number two to Cordero, previously served as General Director of Labor Relations in Buenos Aires City.
Palomino's decision to leave the position is politically motivated, as he aims to strengthen his position in Vicente López and eventually compete for the mayoralty in 2027 with the support of La Libertad Avanza. This declaration sparked backlash from labor unions and affected negotiations for a reform that previously had partial support from the CGT. His replacement could be Eugenia Cortona, current Deputy Secretary of Employment and Labor Training.
