Can Fernández face impeachment?
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(CNN Spanish) -
On Friday, federal prosecutor Ramiro González ordered new measures in the investigation into the alleged breach of the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, and the first lady, Fabiola Yáñez, to the movement and meeting restrictions that governed the Buenos Aires metropolitan area in the midst of the so-called preventive and mandatory social isolation, which was in force for part of 2020 due to the pandemic.
According to a letter from the Public Ministry, the prosecutor requested that the Military House, in charge of the security of the presidential residence, report the identity of the people who entered the Quinta de Olivos on July 14, 2020, if they had permission to circulate. and who authorized your income. González also added to the file the photo of the celebration in which the president is seen participating in the festivities with Yáñez and nine other people, as well as a minor.
In the middle of a speech this Friday, Fernández regretted that the event had occurred and said: "I should have been more careful."
Although she admitted that "a mistake was made and it shouldn't have happened," she dismissed the situation in her partner, noting that "she called a meeting with her friends and a toast that shouldn't have been made, which I definitely realize she shouldn't have. have been done.
And I'm sorry that it happened.
I'm clearly sorry. "
Alberto Fernández says he regrets the meeting at the presidential residence in the middle of the quarantine
Before Fernández spoke, the Chief of Staff, Santiago Cafiero, had acknowledged that "a mistake was made that should not have happened and it was wrong," in reference to the celebration of Yáñez's birthday.
"Clearly it was an oversight," the official said.
"At that time, in that context, Olivos functioned as the pandemic operations center, many people entered, left, ministers, meetings with epidemiologist experts, many of those meetings were held there because Olivos worked that way," he added.
Alberto Fernández: I'm sorry for Fabiola Yañez's party 1:34
In one of the most critical moments of the health crisis caused by covid-19, on July 14, 2020, the president and Yáñez celebrated the birthday of the first lady at the presidential residence in Olivos with their guests, with which presumably they would have breached the rules imposed by the government itself on social gatherings.
Failure to comply with these regulations carries penalties of between six months and two years in prison, since it is considered that they violate the measures adopted by the authorities to prevent the introduction or spread of an epidemic, according to article 205 of the Penal Code.
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At the end of June 2020, Argentina had entered the phase of preventive and compulsory social distancing, but Fernández had ordered that the prohibitions on circulation and assembly be maintained in the Capital and Greater Buenos Aires - where the Quinta de Olivos is located - , the areas most affected by infections and hospitalizations.
For this reason, the prosecutor seeks to establish whether the president, the first lady and the rest of those who appear in the photo failed to comply with the obligations imposed by the presidential decree 260 of 2020, which prohibited social gatherings and the circulation of non-essential personnel.
CNN has asked the presidential spokesperson for a reaction, but has received no responses so far.
The court case focuses on several visits to the Quinta de Olivos during the validity of the traffic restrictions.
The file originated from complaints from opponents and after the complete registration of entries to the presidential residence was published, documents obtained by members of the opposition through a request for access to public information.
This Friday, the complainants provided the file with a copy of the birthday photograph that was leaked on Thursday on the LN + news channel.
The prosecutor had already ordered measures and reiterated them this Friday in the absence of a response from the Executive: he again required the records of income and expenses of actors, actresses, friends and collaborators of the presidential couple to the residence during the mandatory isolation.
Alberto Fernandez