Nicolás Petrini resigned from the leadership of PAMI Río Negro eight months after taking office. His departure opens a new change in the provincial delegation of the social work, based in General Roca, and it became known at a time of tension with clinics and hospitals in the region regarding the continuity of services.
The Patagonian providers announced a new service cut for the Monday following the publication of the news. The timing coincidence publicly linked both events, but from PAMI they maintained that the resignation had already been decided and that it does not respond to that conflict. The available information does not provide a formal communication that establishes another cause.
Petrini would have explained to the staff that he will leave the organization to join the territorial organization of La Libertad Avanza in the province. That task would be carried out together with Senator Enzo Fullone, a leader who had promoted his arrival at the leadership of PAMI. The change thus combines an administrative reorganization with the political deployment of the national government in Río Negro.
Horacio Llamazares, current head of the Medical Department of the social security organization, appears as a possible replacement. However, the appointment has not been formalized and should be kept as an option under evaluation. Until there is a formal appointment, it is not appropriate to present him as the new head or to attribute decisions regarding the relationship with providers to him.
The resignation marks a fourth provincial official since the beginning of Javier Milei's government. Carlos Montenegro, a permanent staff member, took office in February of 2024 and was displaced in May of that year. Then Juan Ignacio Viñals arrived, who remained for approximately a year and a half. Petrini took over in December of 2025 and now leaves the position.
The replacement poses two immediate challenges: ensuring the continuity of services and stabilizing the management of the organization. No agreement with clinics and hospitals has been reported yet, nor a solution to the announced cut for members in the region. The resignation is confirmed; its relation to the benefits dispute was denied by PAMI, while the replacement and Petrini's future party role remain pending formal confirmation.
