Amid security concerns, the government dismisses the director of the National Historical Museum

The director of the National Historical Museum , Gabriel Di Meglio , is leaving the institution following notification from the Undersecretary of Heritage, Liliana Barela. He will be replaced by María Inés Rodríguez Aguilar, who until this month was the national director of Heritage and whose departure from that position was already a confirmed rumor.

♻️ The National Historical Museum is getting a makeover. Museum director Gabriel di Meglio tells you how the historical script is designed and what the next rooms are planned for.

👉 You can visit it Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Defensa 1600, Buenos Aires City. pic.twitter.com/ASzotzUcmh

— National Historical Museum (Argentina) (@MuseoHistorico) June 26, 2025

Although the reasons for Rodríguez Aguilar's departure from her position were not reported (her name was a strong candidate for the Manzana de las Luces), Clarín was able to verify the official's disagreements with museum directors who have had to manage the institutions under their charge for the last year by miracle: multiplying loaves and fishes.

Petty cash has only just been released for the first time since Javier Milei took office , but the museum's security service is causing headaches for all those responsible for safeguarding the museum's collection.

Di Meglio had competed for the position of director at the Cabildo and resigned in 2018 to be appointed to the Historical Museum in 2020. His tenure at the head of the MHN was carried out without public funds : barely supported by the Association of Friends of the institution and with bailouts from private sources.

The positions of the directors who have been awarded a competitive position, whose competitions have not been rescheduled, depend on political opinions . Some have six-monthly renewals, while others have an extension that expires in early 2026.

Once the bankrupts' extensions expire, they may continue, given their management assessment, or be replaced by others with contracts while the administrative process begins.

The National Secretariat of Culture, headed by Leonardo Cifelli, confirmed Di Meglio's departure: "He was not in the running for office, and his extension expired on June 30 ," the spokespersons explained. They also noted that the extension was valid until July 31, and that María Inés Rodríguez Aguilar will take over as president on August 1.

"This change is being made while the competition process begins , giving the National Historical Museum the importance it deserves," they indicated. It's worth noting that despite the Historical Museum's magnitude, it wasn't put up for competition in previous administrations of the Ministry of Culture.

On the other hand, in this Tetris of positions, María Paula Zingoni, current director of the Palais de Glace, who will continue in that role (it does not have a headquarters because the restoration work is suspended like all public works by the national government ), will assume the vacant position of Rodríguez Aguilar.

According to reliable sources who spoke to Clarín , Di Meglio was notified of his resignation without further explanation . The club has a good attendance and a well-established team.

During his tenure , the museum's curatorial approach was comprehensively revamped , with a more contemporary museography, and museographic concepts were updated in line with current international narratives. Several themes in this type of museum open up new debates. Slavery, colonialism, and indigenous peoples, who were not part of traditional narratives, enrich new perspectives.

For next year, the Historical Museum is preparing (it remains to be seen whether it survives the change) an exhibition on the pre-Hispanic and colonial periods.

According to official sources, "the Cifelli-Barela administration remains firm in its decision to open a competition for all museum director positions ." This presumably applies to vacant positions as well as those whose terms have expired or been extended.

The outgoing director, whose contract expired at the end of July, was notified verbally. The latest estimate for the Historic Center's attendance is 170,000. The 20th Century is currently incorporated into the Museum and has already had its first exhibition. It remains to be seen which of the current programs will continue under Rodríguez Aguilar's administration.