Argentina: controversy over jailed prisoners taken to participate in “cultural activities”
A controversy erupted in Argentina following confirmed claims that the government of President Cristina Fernandez appeals to convicted prisoners in support of public presentations and political rallies under cover of cultural activities.
The government admits that the measure, ‘temporary leaves’, is part of a rehabilitation program to prepare prisoners for the social re-insertion when they recover their freedom.
The controversy turned into a scandal when it was filmed that one of those ‘recruited’ by a government political group is Eduardo Vázquez, the former drums player of a band convicted for the fire in a disco that killed 194 youngster back in 2004 and was sentenced to 18 years in jail for also having murdered his wife.
According to the Argentine newspaper Clarin, Vazquez was taken by the Kirchnerite grouping “Vatayón Militante” (‘Militant battalion’), to play at political rallies, although the government describes them as cultural events and with the authorization from the magistrate.
But members of the congressional opposition want better answers and even presented criminal charges before a Buenos Aires federal court.
Opposition lawmaker Carlos Comi said that “people deprived of their liberty because they are complying with judicial convictions or sentences for very serious crimes, regularly abandon jail to participate in political events camouflaged or dressed as cultural activities”.
However President Cristina Fernandez in a speech at Government House defended the activities of “Vatayón militante” and other NGO which, she said, “contribute with the task of social reinsertion, of not isolation, in such a way that they fully achieve their reinsertion with the rest of society”.
“I understand the pain of the victims, mainly because I understand the pain of parents of the girl that died burnt by this young fellow who these groups are trying to make him sociable again, to re-insert him to normal life, but I can assure you that he goes back to his jail every day”, said Cristina Fernandez.
She added that among the prisoners from the federal penitentiary system, “all those that have university degrees, not one of them have re-offended in their crimes”.
Justice Minister Julio Alak said that the prisoners who attend cultural activities outside penitentiaries “do so with the magistrate authorization” and revealed that “over 70% of those at the federal prisons system work and /or study”. Furthermore when they attend those activities they are escorted by police officers in civilian clothes.
Argentina has 70.000 people in jail of which 60.000 belong to the provinces and 10.000 to the federal penitentiary system.
According to Argentine authorities, and confirmed by President Cristina Fernandez at the 32 federal penitentiaries distributed in 14 Argentine provinces, teaching at the three levels takes place and graduates are awarded the same degrees as regular students.
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If you havent got a legitamate claim.....Invent one!
If you havent got a convenient history...Invent one!
When will the Argentine people wake up....shes leading you a merry dance!
You are correct.
Some of these criminals are people that murdered many times and there's probably violators too.
And this is why they should have implemented death sentence long time ago, but its convenient for the government to keep them alive so they can get more votes.
This country is becoming a huge shantytown. As soon as sh€t hits the fan, i'm out of here.
This government has no respect for the victims of crime, the only thing that interests CFK is personal power and wealth!!!!!
No, she's not ugly, but neither is she beautiful.
The picture shows that Maria Eva Duarte de Peron is the more pretty.
But CFK is an old woman, so we should compare like with like -
...perhaps a better comparison is with Madonna.
CFK's hands look better but her neck is worse.
The problem is what she does, not what she looks like.
Every week CFK and her mafia cohorts are responsible for yet another display of extreme arrogance and contempt for democracy. WHY DO ARGENTINES TOLERATE THIS????!!!! Argentina so clearly does not have democracy.
Vazquez set fire to his wife and killed her.
He is sentenced to 18 years prison.
He will serve less than 9 years.
CFK and her troupe let him out to take part in party political events!!!!!!
Long live human rights (those of the victim's familly!!!!!
Thats pretty fucking sick!
He wasn't tried for the Cromañon deaths, only his wife's death. He was sentenced on 14th. June this year.
the former drums player of a band convicted for the fire in a disco that killed 194 youngster back in 2004 and was sentenced to 18 years in jail for also having murdered his wife.
im confused
Rgs here say you can't blame everyone in the country for the gov't. Maybe not but I can say the total disregard for laws that is practiced daily by CFK and her minions is sickening and I can't believe THE PEOPLE let her get away with it.
I think it must be fear or reprisal.
Democracy is dead in Argentina.
What a shame.
PS Maddona would still get it where as I wouldn't touch CFK with yours matey
#12 Well at least you're trying to be objective, but I don't agree. She is more beautiful than Evita (not to demean the lovely Evita) because she has more character in her face formed of more experience, as for the comparison with Madonna, well I like Madonna but Cristina is again more beautiful (and certianly more like Evita!), agree about Madonna's hands btw but not Cristina's lovely neck. And more importantly than all of this, what is the problem with what she does??
suppose one of those criminals happen to escape the prison guards and attacked someone you know, a loved one.. Will you still defend your queen ! BTW If you look at Article 17 of law the rules for temporary releases ! what she is defending is illegal !!
Disgusting
Death of Democracy and
The apathetic Rgs deserve what they get
A Ford Falcon will be waiting for the agitators.
However, letting a convicted murderer out to perform at a political rally two months into their sentence suggests other motives, BK@24, or remarkable arrogance, I doubt if it comforted relatives of Vázquez's wife or his other victims much eithe . At a gig to raise money for victims of crime, perhaps, or teaching younger prisoners to play the drums might be useful and rehabilitative fir both parties, but it's like inviting Harold Shipman to serve on a committee to formulate future N.H.S. policy.
I'd always assumed' El secreto de sus ojos' gave a distorted account of Argentina's legal system. It seems I was mistaken.
Lol.
You, like Tim Rice's dear Evita, continue to bring laughter to my dull life.
ok what the hell! why would anyone call a political group a militant battalion, sounds like something form the Russian Revolution. Simon68 can you shed any light on this?.
24 British_Kirchnerist. your sooo not british mate!
As far as I can tell, the name comes from the late 60s/early 70s when the Moontoneros and the ERP called their terrorist groups “Batallones”, this offshoot of La Campora is a registered ONG called “Vatayón Militante” which is a sort of misspelling of “batallón” which seems to appeal to the “nacional y popular” side of local politics.
Basically we're talking about a sort of Brownshirt outfit recruiting from among the prison population what can only be shock troops to enforce CFK's political outlook prior to the mid-term elections next year, and presumably with a view to the re-reelection in 2015.
No offence taken, you are absolutely right CFK thinks that she should have been a terrorist in the 70s instead of helping her husband to fleece poor farmers out of their property, so she is living in a sort of “Back to the future” situation.
As to support of CFK, I would say that she is steadily losing support as people become au fait of the economic situation. The famous 54% landslide was of course untrue, she actually got about 36% of the vote. Right now I don't think she has a great deal of support, although that might be wishfull thinking!!!!!
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