POLITICS – ANALYSIS Corruption starts with K 03-08-2024 13:58 Shortly after the restructuring of the spy agency, the Milei administration signed an emergency decree giving it an additional 120 billion pesos, roughly US$100 million. by Agustino Fontevecchia
CORRUPTION & THE COURTS ‘Cuadernos’ case: Court rules black money was campaign contributions 22-06-2024 16:22 Controversial court ruling benefitting Mauricio Macri’s cousin, Ángelo Calcaterra, could lead to cases being tried in electoral courts.
DIPLOMATIC ROW Milei visit to far-right rally prompts harsh Spanish rebuke 20-05-2024 09:24 Spain’s Socialist government demands an apology from President Javier Milei, saying the libertarian leader’s comments at a far-right rally in Madrid have badly damaged relations.
SUPREME COURT NOMINATION Consent and dissent for Ariel Lijo on road to Supreme Court 01-05-2024 22:59 International Legal Forum gives its support to Ariel Lijo’s bid occupy a Supreme Court bench. The federal judge’s colleagues, including María Romilda Servini de Cubría, also back his nomination, but several NGOs challenge federal judge's credentials with objections on "ethical" grounds.
TAX-EVASION SCANDAL 'Panama Papers' trial to begin eight years after tax scandal 08-04-2024 09:20 Twenty-seven people in the dock for money-laundering as the "Panama Papers" case reaches trial, eight years after scandal first broke out.
CORRUPTION INDEX Argentina falls on annual corruption index 01-02-2024 17:28 The country scored 37 out of 100 total points and ranked 98th out of 180 surveyed countries by Ashton Goren
LAGO ESCONDIDO CASE Court nixes Lago Escondido case, dismisses case against indicted 22-12-2023 15:30 Ruling by Federal Judge Sebastián Ramos concludes that proceedings concerning controversial trip shared by judges, officials and media businesspeople are null and void.
TRUMP-ALIGNED LAWMAKERS US senators demand sanctions against Fernández de Kirchner for ‘corruption’ 14-12-2023 15:02 Five Republican U.S. Senators asked for sanctions against former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner on Wednesday for “acts of corruption”, in a letter sent to President Joe Biden.
CRISTINA & THE COURTS Federal appeals court revokes dismissal of Fernández de Kirchner money-laundering case 28-11-2023 19:52 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner received favourable ruling Judge Sebastián Casanello mid-year, but federal appeals court revokes dismissal in setback for vice-president.
CRISTINA & THE COURTS A look at post-election court cases awaiting Cristina Fernández de Kirchner 14-11-2023 09:03 Just four days after the change of government, Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner faces a key court date on December 14 in the Vialidad Case, the only trial in which she has been sentenced.
SCANDAL OVER RIVER PLATE Uruguay foreign minister resigns after leaked calls on fugitive drug-trafficker 02-11-2023 15:39 Uruguay's foreign minister resign after the release of recordings in which he allegedly seeks to cover up information involving Sebastián Marset, an accused cocaine-trafficker and subject of an international manhunt.
'Yachtgate' scandal Almost US$600,000 seized by police from Sofía Clerici’s home 24-10-2023 16:51 US$569,700 confiscated by Federal Police from the home of model Sofía Clerici at the upmarket neighbourhood of Nordelta in the framework of the money-laundering and embezzlement case.
CRISTINA & THE COURTS Supreme Court delivers judicial setbacks for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner 10-10-2023 18:37 Argentina’s highest court moves to dismiss different claims made by the former president’s defence team in the money-laundering and Iran memorandum cases.
as i see it Corruption as a way of life 07-10-2023 06:55 In Argentina, there are thousands of men and women who, like Martín Insaurralde, have grown accustomed to milking the country’s political institutions. by James Neilson
EDITORIAL Of dirty money and ‘dirty wars’ 07-10-2023 06:40 With corruption being rubbed in its face by Insaurralde’s Marbella yacht jaunt and with the ballot-box in only a fortnight’s time as a readymade outlet, how will the citizenry react?
'Yachtgate' scandal Insaurralde: Have lords of gambling lost their provincial ‘croupier’? 07-10-2023 06:18 Martín Insaurralde’s exit as Cabinet chief in Buenos Aires Province has also created a vacuum in the world of the unwritten rules of the gambling business.
'YACHTGATE' SCANDAL The power of gambling: Insaurralde’s fall a body blow to bingo circles 07-10-2023 06:07 Betting kingpins fear that their well-oiled mechanisms with Lottery chief Omar Galdurralde, who responds to the Lomas boss, will collapse. Why Axel Kicillof accepted him in his Cabinet. by Ramón Indart
CORRUPTION SCANDAL First post-Insaurralde scandal poll shows impact on Unión por la Patria vote 05-10-2023 18:32 Opinion poll measuring the impact of the scandal provoked by the luxurious trip taken by Martín Insaurralde and Sofía Clerici delivers bad news for government. by Julian D'Imperio
YACHTGATE SCANDAL Alberto Fernández: Insaurralde case offends decent people 04-10-2023 18:52 Head of state praises Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof and Economy Minister Sergio Massa response to scandal, but says affair "hurts many decent people who live an austere life."
CORRUPTION & THE COURTS Prosecutor charges Martín Insaurralde with money-laundering 04-10-2023 13:31 Lomas de Zamora federal prosecutor Sergio Mola has charged former Buenos Aires Province Cabinet Chief Martín Insaurralde with presumed money-laundering while calling for a lien to be slapped on his assets.
CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS Top Buenos Aires Province official resigns amid luxury trip scandal 02-10-2023 15:48 Buenos Aires Province Cabinet Chief Martín Insaurralde, running for councillor in Lomas de Zamora in October elections, resigns post and candidacy in scandal; Kirchnerite leader's girlfriend Sofía Clérici posts images from luxury trip online, prompting corruption allegations and criminal complaints.
CORRUPTION & THE COURTS Ex-minister De Vido acquitted in Venezuela suitcase trial 29-09-2023 18:03 Former Federal Planning minister Julio De Vido acquitted in a case probing the illegal entry of a suitcase containing US$800,000, allegedly sent from Venezuela by the Hugo Chávez government as a contribution to the presidential campaign of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2007.
Crime & Latin America Venezuela takes prison from gang, seizes bitcoin machines, rocket launchers 22-09-2023 19:06 Venezuelan authorities have taken control of the Tocorón prison, which was overrun by members of the Tren de Aragua gang, who were able to transform the prison into their own 'playground.'
CRISTINA & THE COURTS Double judicial setback for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner 18-09-2023 23:20 Federal Appeals Court orders reopening of two high-profile cases against Argentina’s vice-president: Hotesur-Los Sauces corruption probe and controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Iran. Beginning of both trials likely to be delayed due to additional appeals.
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CFK assassination attempt: President Fernández slams 'slowness' of courts 01-09-2023 19:56 President Alberto Fernandez slams justice system for its "singular slowness" in criminal investigation into attempted assassination of Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
ELECTION 2023 Candidacy-buying allegations pile pressure on Javier Milei 14-07-2023 07:45 Libertarian lawmaker rejects multiple claims from former allies that his party is selling candidacies and places on its electoral lists for cold hard cash (in dollars, of course).
CRISTINA & THE COURTS Case against CFK over misuse of presidential planes quashed 14-06-2023 22:16 Federal Criminal Cassation Court throws out case against Cristina Fernández de Kirchner investigating alleged misuse of presidential fleet, ruling probe opened by late federal judge Claudio Bonadio was not impartial.
CRISTINA & THE COURTS Judge dismisses ‘Ruta K’ graft case against Fernández de Kirchner 05-06-2023 18:46 Federal Judge Sebastián Casanello, acting upon a request filed by the ‘Ruta K’ case’s lead prosecutor, dismisses charges against Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
Political crisis in Ecuador Facing impeachment, Ecuador President Lasso dissolves Congress 17-05-2023 09:36 Ecuadorean leader controversially dissolves Congress by decree after opposition-dominated National Assembly launches second attempt to oust him in less than a year.
FIFAGATE CORRUPTION Ex-banker who paid FIFA bribes avoids prison by aiding crackdown 12-05-2023 12:56 Argentine sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco, who admitted paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to corrupt Latin American football officials, spared from prison after serving as star witness in FIFA-gate trial.
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro testifies on January 8 riots 26-04-2023 11:35 Former Brazilian far-right president Jair Bolsonaro appears before federal police on to testify on anti-government riots by his supporters on January 8.
UNREST IN PERU Peru jails ex-intelligence chief over 1988 journalist murder 13-04-2023 13:59 Court in Peru sentences country's former military intelligence chief to 12 years in prison over his role in the 1988 murder of journalist Hugo Bustios Saavedra.
OIL CORRUPTION PROBE Venezuela corruption probe nets 42 officials 03-04-2023 17:06 Over 40 people have been arrested in Venezuela in an anti-corruption drive sweep of state oil company PDVSA and other related government bodies.
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Jair Bolsonaro returns to Brazil for first time since election loss 30-03-2023 13:45 Three months after leaving for the United States in the final hours of his term, Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro returned home Thursday to reenter politics.
UNREST IN PERU Peru prosecutors probe President Boluarte over alleged money-laundering 29-03-2023 11:31 Peruvian prosecutors said late Tuesday they were investigating President Dina Boluarte for alleged money laundering and illegal campaign financing during the 2021 presidential election.
HUMAN RIGHTS US report criticises Argentina’s ‘ineffective’ judicial system 21-03-2023 12:59 New US State Department report on rights situation in Argentina last year highlights “numerous cases of corruption,” and says that President Alberto Fernández’s government took only “limited steps” to fully investigate abuses.
POLITICS & JUDICIARY ‘No evidence’ – Fernández de Kirchner attacks grounds for graft conviction 10-03-2023 20:40 Vice-President reignites her ongoing feud with Argentina’s Judiciary on Friday, comparing its members to the mafia and declaring that they seek to “ban” her from holding public office.
UNREST IN PERU Peru judge extends ex-president Castillo's pre-trial detention to three years 10-03-2023 10:46 A Peruvian judge on Thursday extended former president of Peru Pedro Castillo's pre-trial detention to 36 months for "allegedly being the leader of a criminal organisation," the Supreme Court announced.
‘Vialidad’ graft trial Court ruling: Fernández de Kirchner favoured Báez in a ‘criminal plan’ 09-03-2023 23:42 Judges from Federal Oral Court number 2 release 1,600-page ruling outlining grounds on which it sentenced Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to six years in prison in the ‘Vialidad’ public works graft case.
FIFAGATE CORRUPTION Former Fox executive found guilty in FIFA bribery case 09-03-2023 23:34 Former executive with 21st Century Fox and Argentine sports marketing firm found guilty in New York of paying bribes to secure lucrative television rights to football officials.
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Bolsonaro says he intends to return to Brazil in coming weeks 13-02-2023 11:33 Jair Bolsonaro intends to return to Brazil in the coming weeks, according to a video aired by CNN Brasil that comes as the right-wing leader faces multiple investigations in his homeland.
CORRUPTION Argentina retains low score in global corruption ranking 02-02-2023 12:50 Transparency International publishes results of annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), with discouraging results for the country and the region.
FIFAGATE CORRUPTION CONMEBOL officials took millions in bribes, New York court told 19-01-2023 10:58 Argentine businessman Alejandro Burzaco claims he and two former television executives had funnelled kickbacks to CONMEBOL chiefs to secure lucrative broadcasting rights.
FIFAGATE CORRUPTION Football scam jury hears of Fox TV rights bought with bribes 19-01-2023 02:22 Prosecutors said Hernán López and Carlos Martínez teamed up with the sports marketing firm Full Play Group SA to pay millions of dollars a year in bribes to officials of CONMEBOL, the governing body for South American football. Full Play is also a defendant in the case.
‘FIFAgate’ graft scandal Defendants stand trial in New York in 'FIFAgate' corruption case 16-01-2023 16:18 Argentine-American Hernán López and Mexican-American Carlos Martínez, ex-employees of US giant 21st Century Fox, stand trial on corruption, bank fraud and money-laundering charges in US court.
EUROPEAN POLITICS EU parliament's credibility rocked by Qatar bribe claims 12-12-2022 10:26 Investigation underway into allegations that figures working on behalf of Qatar, the Gulf monarchy and World Cup host, paid European politicians huge bribes to influence Brussels policy debate.
EDITORIAL Knocked for six 10-12-2022 04:58 If Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is the first serving Argentine vice-president to be sentenced for corruption, that is perhaps the less significant precedent set by Tuesday’s historic verdict in the Santa Cruz highway contract corruption trial.
Analysis A conviction that does not convict 08-12-2022 15:54 The millions who consider Cristina Fernández de Kirchner corrupt do not need a ruling to prove it. And for millions of others, she will never be guilty. by Gustavo González
JUDICIAL-POLITICAL COLLUSION Government denounces those involved in Lago Escondido scandal 07-12-2022 20:51 Justice Minister Martín Soria files complaint against judges, prosecutors, officials and Clarín executives; Prosecutor shows revealing images of the group arriving in Bariloche and questions invoices presented.
VICE-PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE Cristina says she won't be a candidate in 2023 elections 07-12-2022 08:54 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner rails against “parallel state and judicial mafia” in an hour-long livestream broadcast reacting to corruption conviction, in which the former president declares she will not run in next year’s election campaign.