Argentine judge finds sufficient evidence to charge ex-President with committing gender violence
Associated Press3 days ago
Former Argentine President Charged With Domestic Gender Violence
Above: Argentina's former Pres. Alberto Fernández speaks in Rio de Janeiro on June 13, 2024. Image copyright: Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
A federal judge in Argentina accepted gender-based violence charges against the country's former Pres. Alberto Fernández on Monday, including aggravated serious assault, several counts of aggravated minor assault, and coercive threats against his former partner, Fabiola Yáñez.
Judge Julián Ercolini wrote in a 184-page ruling that there was enough evidence that Fernández systematically perpetrated violence against Yáñez from 2016 to August 2024 (escalating after she got pregnant in mid-2021) to proceed with charges. If convicted, he faces up to 18 years in prison.
Fernández has been ordered to pay 10M pesos (about $8K at the unofficial "blue dollar" rate) and not to contact Yáñez or approach within 500 meters of her. Meanwhile, a pre-trial arrest was dismissed and a travel ban on the former president was lifted.
The Spin
Narrative A
While in office, Fernández expressed empathy for women who endured gender violence in Argentina. He called on his fellow countrymen to denounce the violent ones. Now it turns out that the self-proclaimed feminist leader was merely a hypocrite whose actions betrayed his speech.
Narrative B
Just because he's been charged doesn't mean that Fernández has been convicted. As the former president insists that he is the victim of a politically-motivated judicial persecution to tarnish his reputation, one should avoid jumping to conclusions before a verdict.