Argentina’s federal prosecutor formally Charged Former Socialist President Alberto Fernández was arrested on Wednesday on charges of domestic violence against former first lady Fabiola Yáñez.
Fernández is accused by prosecutor Ramiro González of inflicting “doubly aggravated serious bodily harm” and making “coercive threats” against the former first lady. Some of the alleged violence took place between 2019 and 2023, when Fernández was president. Prosecutors also allege that Fernández forced his partner to have an abortion in 2016.
Fernandez reiterated Declared He called himself the “first feminist” president, even though Argentina already had its first female president, Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. During his four-year term, he was a socialist, “feminist” and infamous Pro-China The former president spearheaded several “women-friendly” initiatives, including: Legalization Abortion in Argentina Creation An official from the now defunct Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity.
The former Argentine president maintained a relationship with Argentine journalist and actress Fabiola Yáñez. 2014Yáñez served as Argentina’s First Lady during Fernández’s term as president, and although the couple never married, child Late 2022.
In early August, Yáñez Condemned Yáñez was charged with assaulting Fernández for allegedly committing acts of violence against her. In her testimony, she described 2023 as the “worst and most violent” year of the former president’s actions against her, saying that Fernández had forced her to have an abortion in 2016 and had also engaged in physical and verbal violence against her, including locking her in the Argentine presidential palace.
The former first lady was arrested by Argentine investigators Found Investigators found evidence of Fernandez allegedly physically abusing his former secretary over the phone as part of an ongoing, unrelated insurance fraud case. Charged It is scheduled for early 2024.
Last week, Argentine news outlet Infobae Published Photos and text messages showing one example of physical abuse perpetrated by Alberto Fernandez in August 2021. The former first lady, who now lives in Spain with her 2-year-old child, Condemned She was already pregnant at the time Fernandez beat her.
Yanez said According to Infobae, she sought help from the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, which was established under President Fernandez, but received no support from ministry officials. Accused Fernandez will serve as Fernandez’s “digital communications advisor.” Instagram The account “belongs to” Fernandez’s dog, Dylan.
The government of current President Javier Milley has closed the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity. dissolution Argentina’s current government accused the previous administration of creating the ministry for “political partisan purposes, the promotion and imposition of an ideological agenda, the employment of extremists, and the organization of meetings and events.”
In his formal complaint, Gonzalez said that from the point when Yáñez began dating Fernández until the present, she “suffered from a relationship that involved gender-based and domestic violence harassment, psychological harassment and physical aggression.”
According to local Argentine media, court documents state: list Fernandez is accused of nine acts of violence against Yañez between 2016 and 2023.
The nine counts on the list include allegations of forced abortion, which Gonzalez said caused “irreparable psychological damage” to the former first lady.
The documents also reportedly detail physical abuse she suffered in August 2021, Fernandez punching Yáñez in the eye and kicking her while she was pregnant in July 2021, and other violent acts that left the former first lady with injuries to her hands and feet. Prosecutors said in the indictment that Fernandez “habitually” punched Yáñez in the first half of 2023, causing a “swelling” on her cheek and causing the former first lady to move into a guest house at the presidential residence.
Court documents state that on June 28, Yáñez received several calls and messages from Alberto Fernández, who urged her to “finish it as soon as possible.” Yáñez also allegedly received a call from the former president’s lawyer, Juan Pablo Fiorivero, who told her that “filing the report would not be good for her or for Fernández” because “they would say a lot about her” if she did.
“The purpose of these calls was to take advantage of Mrs. Yañez’s mental instability and to prevent her from pursuing criminal charges in this case,” Gonzalez said.
Fernandez Claimed Former President Fernández claimed on Wednesday that the charges of violence were “false” and that he was “the victim of a brutal operation.” He made the allegations during an event where he formally announced his resignation as leader of the leftist Justiciarist party. Fernández said he was stepping down because of a “duty and necessity” to not implicate the party in the allegations against him.
“I hope that any shred of the media lynching I am receiving will not tarnish this party whose men and women have given so much to gender equality and respect for diversity,” Fernandez said.
“The accusations against me are false and I am still waiting for the judiciary to act accordingly, stop the illegal publication of data through the media and allow me to exercise my legitimate right to defence,” he continued. “Having suffered much ridicule and been the victim of a cruel operation in which my children have also been harmed, I greet all my comrades with the same determination as always.”
President Javier Milley is an outspoken dog lover Responded Fernandez was indicted on Wednesday after offering to care for his dog, Dylan, and stressed that he was taking the dog “so he can be cared for as a member of the heavenly host family.”
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan author documenting life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter. here.
