President Alberto Fernández announced yesterday that Ana Clara Alberdi will be the new head of the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI). She will replace Agustín Rossi, who left the role to become Fernández’s Chief of Staff.

“We met to analyze the goals of AFI together for this upcoming stage,” tweeted Fernández after meeting with Alberdi. 

Alberdi is a political science graduate who has worked with Rossi for the past 15 years. She served as his chief of staff in the Defense Ministry between 2019 and 2021. 

Rossi took office as chief of staff on Wednesday afternoon. Fernández said that he “values the unity of the Frente de Todos and will work towards preserving it.” 

The president ordered an external audit of the AFI soon after taking office in 2019. He later issued a presidential decree to extend the audit until December 2023. It recently sparked controversy after revelations that its officials had been operating an immense network of illegal espionage during former President Mauricio Macri’s government between 2015 and 2019. Victims included politicians, journalists, human rights advocates, unions, and the families of the crew of the ARA San Juan, a navy submarine which was missing for a year before its wreckage was found.

 Several senior intelligence officers were investigated by Congress’ Intelligence Commission and, in some cases, charged with misconduct in public office and illicit association.