Pope's arrival: the decoration Karina Milei ordered, strict dress codes, and a sign at the Cathedral

At the Casa Rosada these days there is a single topic: the arrival of Pope Leo XIV. Against the clock, the details are being finalized for the pontiff's arrival, who today already set foot on Uruguayan soil. The Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, who is leading the reception of the Holy Father, ordered Executive Branch employees to decorate the Casa Rosada in keeping with the arrival of the highest figure of the Catholic Church. This Friday they began placing yellow and white plants, in honor of the colors of the Vatican. The decoration will continue on Saturday and will go on until Sunday, the day Leo XIV lands in the country. For several months now, the government has been fixing up run-down areas of the Casa Rosada, and work was still going on this very week. On Tuesday, two long burgundy carpets were laid out in the Balcarce 50 Gallery, a few meters from the Tamburini Arch, to be cleaned. On Thursday, workers were laminating the joints of the staircases and the Malvinas Courtyard. Milei will make the protocol greeting with the Pope in the White Hall of the Casa RosadaPresidenciaThese days there were officials worried about finding black ties. The strict dress code must be followed, which in the government they attribute to Vatican protocol. According to what LA NACION was able to find out, Karina Milei personally took charge of reinforcing the dress code. After the protocol greeting in the White Hall, scheduled for 5:20 pm on Sunday, President Javier Milei will present his cabinet to Pope Leo. The male ministers must wear a black or midnight blue suit with a dark tie. The female ministers must also wear dark clothing, with backs and arms covered. On this occasion neither a mantilla nor any other head covering will be necessary, which brought relief to some of the female officials. The same dress code must be worn by the political leaders going to the Libertad Palace on Sunday at 6:30 pm. They say the secretary general made a special point of teaching the libertarian deputies and senators what the dress code was like. Since September she has been hammering away at this topic. On the 14th of that month, the President gathered them at the Casa Rosada, and Karina Milei took advantage of the wait for her brother to reinforce that backs and arms must not be shown. At that meeting, she reportedly said that even she was having trouble finding a muted dress with sleeves. In addition, the invitation email to go to the Libertad Palace that members of Congress received also included a section with details about clothing. In that email, which LA NACION accessed, the guidelines were given and it was noted that the dress code responds to what was "reported by the Protocol Office of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See," according to "custom." Within the ruling party itself, quite a few people behind the scenes interpreted that the government's zeal regarding clothing was mostly a message to some of the libertarian deputies, who like to show off their looks from the chamber on social media. A selfie by Lilia Lemoine and Virginia Gallardo in the chamber Soledad AznarezSecurity planMeanwhile, conversations in the hallways of the Casa Rosada speak of the sophisticated security operation that will be deployed in that area of the City, the focal point of the Pope's first steps in Argentina. This Friday, two trans women went to dance and sing against the President at the fence of the seat of the Executive Branch, and about 30 more people joined them afterward. Despite the small turnout, a substantial deployment was mounted at the Casa Rosada. "It was for prevention," said official sources. Taking part in the operation were personnel from the Military House, officers of the Argentine Federal Police, who were stationed at the fence surrounding the front of the Executive Branch headquarters, and firefighters. Heavy preventive deployment at the Casa Rosada over a protestA few steps away in the Plaza de Mayo, which is already dressed with Argentine and Vatican flags, the Cathedral is also following an unusual rhythm. On the front of the main door there is a computer-printed sign with the title Papal Visit, which reads: "By order of the security and logistics protocol, the Cathedral will remain closed from Friday 6/nov 12 pm until Thursday 12/nov 7:30 am. Thank you very much." The sign posted on the Cathedral doorPaula RossiBy Paula Rossi