María Iberzábal Murphy
María Iberzábal Murphy | |
|---|---|
| Legal and Technical Secretary of the President | |
| Assumed office 7 April 2025 | |
| President | Javier Milei |
| Preceded by | Javier Herrera Bravo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1986 or 1987 |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina Austral University |
María Iberzábal Murphy (born 1986 or 1987) is an Argentine lawyer, academic and politician, Legal and Technical Secretary of the President of Argentina since 2025. She previously served as head of the Secretariat for Strategic Regulatory Planning between 2024 and 2025 and other senior government positions during Mauricio Macri's presidency.
Early life
Iberzábal graduated with a law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) and obtained a master's degree in administrative law from Austral University.[1] She began working at the law firm Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal in 2009 and at the law firm Estudio Cassagne Abogados in 2010, to later join Estudio Richards, Cardinal, Tutzer, Zabala & Zaefferer in 2015 as a senior lawyer in administrative law.[2][3]
She has also been a professor in the law programme at the UCA between 2014 and 2016, in 2023, and a visiting professor of administrative law at the National University of La Matanza and the Attorney General's Office of the City of Buenos Aires.[3]
Political career
Argentina's new president, Mauricio Macri, appointed her Director of the Ministry of Agroindustry in 2015, and later Chief Advisor to the National Treasury Attorney's Office until the end of his presidency in 2019, when Ibarzabal returned to work as a lawyer for Estudio Cassagne, and was on the verge of becoming the firm's first female partner.[2][1][3]
In early 2024, Santiago Caputo called her to join La Libertad Avanza's project, and became Caputo's main aide.[3] Javier Milei appointed her Secretary of Strategic Regulatory Planning on 17 April 2024.[2][3] In that role, she was responsible for drafting laws such as the Basic Law, the Single Paper Ballot Law, the suspension of primary elections, as well as the preparation of presidential vetoes and the latest presidential decree for an agreement with the IMF, the structural reform of the Customs Revenue and Control Agency (ARCA), among others.[2][1][4] She also worked on the project that sought to eliminate the crime of femicide and repeal laws such as the one that granted quotas to transgender people.[1] On 7 May 2024 Iberzábal participated in the General Legislation Committee of the Argentine Senate.[3]
Afte the resignation of Javier Herrera Bravo for personal reasons on 1 April 2025, Iberzábal was announced as his successor, also taking on the duties she had as Secretary of Strategic Regulatory Planning following the restructuring and the suppression of the Secretary.[2][5][4] She was formally appointed by decree on 7 April 2025.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "Renunció el secretario de Legal y Técnica de Milei y será reemplazado por una asesora de Santiago Caputo" [Milei's Legal and Technical Secretary has resigned and will be replaced by an adviser to Santiago Caputo.]. La Nación (in Spanish). 1 April 2025. Archived from the original on 25 May 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Quién es María Ibarzabal Murphy, la nueva Secretaria Legal y Técnica" [Who is María Ibarzabal Murphy, the new Legal and Technical Secretary?]. Ámbito Financiero (in Spanish). 1 April 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Devanna, Cecilia (2 April 2025). "María Ibarzabal Murphy, la escudera de Santiago Caputo que ahora le cuidará la firma a Javier Milei" [María Ibarzabal Murphy, Santiago Caputo's right-hand woman, will now look after Javier Milei's firm.]. La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Suprimieron la Secretaría de Planeamiento Estratégico tras la reasignación de su titular" [The Secretariat for Strategic Planning was abolished following the reassignment of its head.]. Infobae (in Spanish). 16 April 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "Renunció el secretario de Legal y Técnica: lo reemplazará alguien de confianza de Santiago Caputo" [The Secretary of Legal and Technical Affairs has resigned: he will be replaced by someone trusted by Santiago Caputo.]. Todo Noticias (in Spanish). 1 April 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "El Gobierno oficializó la designación de la nueva Secretaria Legal y Técnica de Javier Milei" [The government officially announced the appointment of Javier Milei's new Legal and Technical Secretary.]. La Nación (in Spanish). 8 April 2025. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.