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The US warned about corruption in the government of Alberto Fernández and cited the conviction of Cristina Kirchner - Infobae
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EEUU alertó sobre la corrupción en el gobierno de Alberto Fernández y citó la condena a Cristina Kirchner
El Departamento de Estado, a cargo de Antony Blinken, presentó su reporte sobre la práctica de los Derechos Humanos en todo el mundo, que incluye un capítulo sobre la calidad institucional de la Argentina. Hace referencia a la causa Vialidad, en la que la ex presidenta fue condenada a 6 años de...
www.infobae.com
April 22, 2024
The State Department, headed by Antony Blinken, presented its report on the practice of Human Rights around the world, which includes a chapter on the institutional quality of Argentina. It refers to the Roads case, in which the former president was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
By Romanian Lejtman
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
(From Washington, United States) The State Department published today its report on the practice of human rights in the World, which includes an extensive chapter on the situation in Argentina in 2023. The report, which has a foreword by Joseph Biden, questions the commitment of the Alberto Fernández government in the fight against public corruption and cites as an example the sentencing of Cristina Kirchner in the Road Traffic case to six years in prison.
In Section 4 of the chapter on Argentina, under the subtitle Corruption in Government, you can read:
“The law provided criminal penalties for corruption of officials, but the government did not implement it effectively. During the year there were numerous reports of government corruption. Weak institutions and an often ineffective and politicized judicial system undermined systematic attempts to curb corruption,” he maintains.
And he adds as an example of government corruption:
“Fernández de Kirchner and nine others involved (45 in total) were accused of receiving bribes, paying bribes, or both, in public works contracts between 2008 and 2015, when Fernández de Kirchner was president. Prosecutors estimated the total value of the bribery scheme at $160 million. Fernández de Kirchner was convicted and in December 2022 a court of first instance sentenced her to six years in prison, a fine and perpetual disqualification from public office. The sentence would not be final until the final appeals were decided.”
The report cited the conviction of CFK, but does not refer to any specific case of corruption in the Executive Branch.
Alberto Fernández and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner when they concluded their mandate, on December 10, 2023
In addition to mentioning cases in the Peronist administration, the State Department report refers to causes of corruption that implicated members of the Argentine Judiciary. As an example, the sentence against the federal judge of Mendoza, Walter Bento, is mentioned.
“On July 26, a federal trial began against former federal judge Walter Bento, his family and 29 other defendants, including lawyers and police officers. The court accused Bento of leading a criminal organization with ties to drug trafficking and he was accused of money laundering and accepting bribes in exchange for clemency and other judicial benefits. On November 8, Bento was placed in preventive detention after losing his immunity privileges, when a jury decided to remove him from office for poor performance of his duties,” maintains the report presented by Blinken.
Section 4 also refers to corruption in the security forces. Specific cases are not mentioned, but rather a general characterization of the situation in the country.
“Corruption and official complicity occurred in some security forces. The most common abuses included extortion and protection of those involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and the sex trade. Allegations of corruption in provincial and federal courts were frequent,” states the international report.
Axel Kicillof, governor of the Province of Buenos Aires
The dossier was presented by Blinken at a press conference and also refers to the situation of the prisons in the Buenos Aires district and the City of Buenos Aires . The report maintains the following:
“Prison conditions are harsh due to overcrowding, poor nutrition and medical care, and unsanitary conditions. (...) Overcrowding in prisons continued to be a problem. As of June (2023), the province of Buenos Aires estimated a prison population of 53,097 in a space designed for 26,886 people.”
And complete: Overcrowding in detention centers often resulted in people being held in police stations for long periods, although some NGOs and the national prison ombudsman noted that the law prohibited doing so. On July 18, human rights organizations protested overcrowding in police stations in Buenos Aires. Human rights organizations estimated that 1,155 detainees were held in spaces designed for 543″.
In the Freedom of Expression chapter , the United States report describes the situation of the media during the last year of the government shared by Alberto Fernández and Cristina. In this regard he stated:
“Press freedom monitoring organizations reported that aggressive comments against journalists by political leaders and candidates, as well as statements by the president and a provincial governor, among others, limited press freedom.”
Finally, the State Department describes the situation of journalists and their professional work in Rosario, under the crossfire of drug traffickers, brave groups and political leaders.
“The national press freedom monitoring organizations, FOPEA and ADEPA, warned that criminal groups “affected” freedom of expression by intimidating and threatening journalists, particularly in the city of Rosario. “Both organizations stated that intimidation of the media by local criminal gangs emerged as a real threat to the safety of journalists,” stated the dossier presented in Washington.
