MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine collar clamp has sentenced businessman ‘trapped’ in Uruguay
The Argentine resident is under arrest in a Punta del Este hotel An Argentine businessman who was sentenced in Uruguay to home arrest following a car accident in which one person died remains at the location of the crime because his family in Argentina have been unable to purchase the 5.000 US dollars bail needed for his release.
The 70 year old businessman was typified manslaughter and is currently staying at a hotel in Punta del Este, the sea resort where the accident occurred, since he has no home address in Uruguay and is waiting for the family to somehow find a way around the dollar clamp imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez that strictly limits the purchase of US currency.
Since last October Argentine has been tightening the money exchange market with serious restrictions to purchase dollars, forcing the creation of a so called “black” (bills) and “blue” (assets) informal market. Both options are closely watched by the tax revenue office and could lead to fines and/or jail sentences,
Purchasing official dollars in banks or money exchange houses is an extremely cumbersome process which needs clearance from the Central bank and the tax revenue office, but with no certainty of a positive or sufficient reply to the request.
The gap between the official and non official markets this week reached 47%.
The defendant’s solicitor Gabriel Adriozola said “the sentence abides strictly to law and so does the cautionary measures decided by magistrate Marcela Vargas”.
“Medical reports indicate that it is highly non recommendable to send my client to jail given his age and health condition” said Adriozola who added that “under Uruguayan law whoever is involved in a traffic accident in principle is not sent to jail, and further more when it has been proved it was a case of manslaughter. In civilized countries people are not sent to jail even when sentenced until convicted”.
The accident occurred in a highway leading to Punta del Este when the Argentine businessman was driving his Mercedes Kompressor at high speed and collided with a double cabin van travelling on the same direction. The driver of the van crashed against a railing and since he had no safety belt was thrown out dying on impact.
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Jul 21st, 2012 - 07:31 am 0Another “Great Story” from MercoPress defending a “Poor Man” trapped by the “Wicked Argentinean Dollar Collar Clamp”….
A “Poor Argentinean Businessman”, driving his ”Mercedes Kompressor” at high speed on a toll highway in Uruguay, has an accident and his poor family in Buenos Aires is ”Totally Unable” to purchase 5,000 U$S for his bail……....................................
Meanwhile, the ”Poor Little Sausage” is ”Suffering Home Arrest” on a “Terrible 4**** Hotel in “Awful” Punta del Este……............................
I would suggest to the ”Desperate Family” of this ”Poor, Mercedes Kompressor driving Argentinean Businessman,” to take a walk along calle Florida or calle Lavalle………......................................................
I’m certain that there, they will find a lot of ”Generous Helping Souls” in one of the many ”Cuevas” or ”Arbolitos”, willing to help them with those much needed 5,000 U$S. (At the going ”Blue” rate, of course)...............
Trash journalism…………….
At its best……………….
El Think………..
maybe this should serve as a warning to other Argentine drivers... argueably the most agressive in the world.... the buggers use zebra crossings as some form of ranging device......
Jul 21st, 2012 - 08:16 am 0@1 For once I agree, a pointless report not particularly well thought out.
Jul 21st, 2012 - 09:32 am 0Now if it reported poor working class man in prison unable to get bail due to Dollar restrictions, fair enough.
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