The Defense Ministry appointed a new Air Force chief on Saturday after firing Fernando Mengo from the post earlier this week amid corruption and sexual abuse allegations.

Defense Minister Luis Petri assigned Brigadier Gustavo Valverde as the new head of the Air Force to replace Mengo, who was found to have used planes that belonged to the force for personal trips at least 32 times.

On Thursday afternoon, Petri said in a communiqué he was removing Mengo from his role due to the “improper use” of Air Force aircraft, which is “a serious violation of norms that regulate the use of public property and the responsibilities inherent to his role.”

“I have also been made aware of alleged cases of harassment/abuse committed by Brigadier Mengo, which would constitute an extremely serious and unacceptable misconduct,” Petri said in the communiqué.

He added that the ministry has taken the necessary steps to investigate the misconduct allegations and sanction those involved as appropriate.

Mengo had been second in charge of the Air Force until December 2023, when he was promoted by Javier Milei after becoming president.

Petri’s decision to fire Mengo came following an investigation by journalist Federico Teijeiro. On Thursday morning, Teijeiro provided the ministry with the information he had gathered for nine months, and hours later, Mengo was out.

Petri said in an interview with the LN+ news channel on Thursday that the ministry verified Teijeiro’s information and was able to confirm that Mengo took at least 32 trips between Buenos Aires and Paraná, Entre Ríos, from January to June 2024. 

“We found out there were irregularities, and the only response to that was his immediate dismissal,” Petri said.

Mengo’s wife, a non-commissioned officer at the Paraná Air Force base, was also allegedly involved in the trips, along with the couple’s children. Teijeiro said in a streaming show on the Neura channel that she was collected from Paraná over the weekends and brought to Buenos Aires, and she flew back to the base on Mondays. If confirmed, she could also be sanctioned.

The investigation found that the trips were not being correctly reported, given that the details about the flights did not include the names of the passengers. The Defense Ministry is investigating if the head of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, Xavier Isaac, was aware of these irregularities.

Petri also said that the ministry is investigating if “there could have been situations of abuse and harassment” from Mengo against victims who have not made legal complaints “We are protecting victims and guaranteeing that they can access the appropriate means to report this,” he added.

Teijeiro, who was also interviewed alongside Petri in LN+, said he is in contact with four alleged victims, although according to him, there are at least two more. He said that while at first they refused to speak publicly about this, some are now “reconsidering” the situation.

Cover picture: Minister Luis Petri (center) with newly appointed Air Force Chief Gustavo Valverde (left). Credit: Defense Ministry Press