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Argentine President-elect Mauricio Macri names new Cabinet representing diverse interests

Associated Press
Published | Updated

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – President-elect Mauricio Macri named a new Cabinet on Wednesday that includes members from diverse Argentine political movements, business executives and a minister with the outgoing government.

Marcos Pena, chosen by Macri to be his Cabinet chief when he takes office Dec. 10, announced the president-elect's appointments at a news conference.

Among the key appointments is Alfonso Prat Gay as finance minister. He was Central Bank chief between 2002 and 2004 during the Peronist governments of Presidents Eduardo Duhalde and Nestor Kirchner.

Lino Baranao, the current minister of science and technology, will remain in his post.

"He has been carrying out a very valuable program of science and technology," Pena said. "For Mauricio (Macri) it has been one of the most successful policies of Cristina's government."

Baranao is the only member of outgoing President Cristina Fernandez's Cabinet to be appointed to Macri's.

The president-elect also named ministers from parties belonging to his Cambiemos front, including Oscar Aguad as communications minister, Ricardo Buryaile in agriculture and Julio Martinez in defense. They are from the Radical Civic Union party.

Rogelio Frigerio will be minister of the interior, while Union For All deputy Patricia Bullrich will be security minister.

Earlier, Macri announced that Susana Malcorra will be Argentina's foreign minister. Former Shell executive Juan Jose Aranguren will be minister of energy and mines.

The appointments came after a meeting late Tuesday between Fernandez and Macri that left the president-elect expressing disappointment.

Macri said Fernandez was cordial but the talk "wasn't worth it." He said they only went over protocol for the Dec. 10 inauguration ceremony.

Macri beat ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli in a presidential runoff Sunday, ending 12 years of dominance by Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor in office Nestor Kirchner.

Macri has said he will tackle Argentina's economic woes, including plunging foreign reserves, high government spending and soaring inflation. He has also vowed to lift unpopular restrictions on buying U.S. dollars.