A resignation one month into the job
César Oscar Lencina formally resigned as Argentina's undersecretary of Science and Technology, with the decision taking effect on October 29, 2026. He had taken up the position on September 22, replacing José Luis Acevedo, a figure close to Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli, so his tenure lasted only slightly more than a month. The resignation was submitted through an official letter addressed to Adriana Baravalle, who heads the Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology, and a copy went to Santilli, whose office oversees the structure.[S1][S3][S4]
His appointment had been formalized under Decree 1056/2026. When the government announced the move, it highlighted his background as an Air Force commodore and his experience in research work in Antarctica. Baravalle had taken charge of the secretariat on August 13, roughly a month before Lencina arrived, according to the account published by C5N.[S1][S3][S4]
The complaints set out in the letter
In the resignation note, Lencina attributed his decision to persistent difficulties that, in his account, prevented him from properly carrying out the duties of his post. He pointed to a lack of efficient communication and institutional support needed to run the area. He also raised what he described as situations of mistreatment and disregard toward personnel in the work environment, extending his criticism beyond administrative conditions to the treatment of staff inside the dependency.[S1][S3][S4]
The outgoing official argued that such conduct did not at all match the way he runs organizations or his record leading teams, an area where he said his training had given him extensive experience. He concluded that the most appropriate course was to step aside so the area's management could move forward with the continuity it requires and adopt a new working dynamic serving the body's mission. According to Perfil's reporting, no official reply to the points raised in the letter had been circulated when the resignation became known.[S1][S3][S4]
A structure marked by repeated turnover
Lencina's exit adds to a series of changes the science and technology dependency has undergone during the year. In July 2026, Santilli moved out the then secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology, Darío Genua, who had formally taken office in June 2024. Acevedo was then replaced by Lencina at the undersecretary level, and the latest resignation once again leaves that position vacant, this time accompanied by an explicit challenge to the internal conditions of management.[S1][S4]
Coverage of the resignation by BAE Negocios stressed that Lencina left the post just over a month after assuming it and that his letter questioned the absence of institutional backing and the working conditions within the area. The episode places the internal functioning of the science structure under scrutiny while the sector is described as going through a difficult period nationally.[S2][S3]
