The unusual benefit of the Kirchnerist AFIP leadership: a gym at the central headquarters, exclusively for senior staff

Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni announced on Wednesday changes in the Tax Collection and Customs Control Agency ( ARCA ) regarding positions and employees, and denounced that the top brass of the former AFIP had set up a gym inside the central building of that public agency. The unusual space with weights, treadmills, stationary bicycles and machines set up in an office was exclusively for senior staff of the tax collection agency during Kirchnerist times.

The spokesman saved the scoop for his usual press conference at Casa Rosada and added the video to address the information that, once released, was the talk of the town among the employees of the tax collection agency. "I want you to see it," said Adorni and started the recording on the screen on his lectern.

"A gym with treadmills, bicycles, machines and dumbbells... A fully equipped gym that was used exclusively by the top management of the now defunct AFIP of previous governments," said Adorni, while images were rolling behind him showing all kinds of paraphernalia for physical exercise.

"By order of the director of ARCA, Juan Pazo, and of the director of the DGI, Andrés Vázquez, 695 positions in the DGI, created during the previous government and representing almost 27% of the structure of that agency, will be eliminated ," Adorni said on Wednesday morning about an immediate restructuring of ARCA. This is in line with the adjustments that the Executive is carrying out in the public sector, and which is why Adorni usually communicates this at press conferences in Casa Rosada.

However, once he listed the changes that, in addition to the reduction of the organizational chart, will take place in the structure of ARCA and the General Tax Directorate (DGI), such as the closure of branches that, he alleged, were located in districts related to the previous government, such as Quilmes, Florencio Varela or Berazategui , he ventured to communicate an unusual fact about the gymnasium set up in an office of the former AFIP.

After the video, he editorialized: "Of course, this will also be removed and we will transform this space into a place that is of greater use than the one that allows officials to do sports or gymnastics. The truth is that it is a real shame ."

Hours later, it was the Undersecretary of Press of the Presidency, Javier Lanari , who released the video that was played during Adorni's conference and provided details and spite. "Here is the gym that the K leadership of the extinct AFIP set up for the exclusive use of officials (who earned between $17 and $30 million). It had treadmills, bicycles and dumbbells, among other luxuries...", Lanari tweeted.

The video, just under 20 seconds long , shows the layout in a room of at least six treadmills and jogging machines , stationary bikes, equipment for exercising different areas of the body, as many bars and weight lifting discs, dumbbells, mats... a space well equipped for its purpose.

Here is the gym that the K leadership of the defunct AFIP set up for the exclusive use of officials (who earned between $17 and $30 million). It had treadmills, bicycles and dumbbells, among other luxuries... pic.twitter.com/YQkIESp1Dn

— Javier Lanari (@javierlanari) February 26, 2025

Then, during his conference, Adorni quickly changed the subject and announced that voluntary retirements and other types of severance payments will be implemented in the short term, which will result in a reduction of 2,815 jobs in the ARCA structure.

This is not the first time that Adorni has kept back information about alleged discoveries in state agencies, in order to dress up his informative speeches from the Rosada with indignation and novelty. Not long ago, it was the denunciation of the operation of a supposed nightclub in the orbit of the University of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo , which the rector's office tried to deny.