MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine ex president accompanied to court by close associates of the Pope

Juan Grabois is an advisor of Pope Francis and Eduardo Valdés is a former ambassador to the Vatican during the last period of Cristina Fernandez president (Pic Infobae)

Argentine ex president Cristina Fernandez over the weekend called on her followers not to accompany her on Monday when she attended the Court House to testify before Judge Claudio Bonadío in reference to the so called “K corruption notebooks”.

 However, --besides the media--, and quite surprisingly, the lady was escorted by two close associates of Pope Francis, according to a report from Clarin.

Juan Grabois is an advisor of Argentine born pope Francis and Eduardo Valdés is a former ambassador to the Vatican during the last period of Cristina Fernandez president.

Grabois is also the head of the Confederation of Workers for a Popular Economy, CTEP, and a reference for social organizations that work closely with the Social Development ministry in Argentina.

Valdés is a long time Peronist veteran leader, who together with ex Domestic Trade Secretary Guillermo Moreno, kept a fluid and close relation with the pope during the last leg of Cristina Fernandez presidency. Valdes as ambassador and Moreno as Trade attaché in Rome.

Allegedly Grabois and Cristina Fernandez are quite close and have spent long conversations on social and politics affairs, including the possibility of having Grabois Junior run for deputy in the province of Buenos Aires, next year under the banner of the Kirchner grouping, Citizens United.

Valdes owns a bar in one of Buenos Aires traditional neighborhoods which has become a meeting place for the Kirchnerite grouping and is not only visited occasionally by Cristina Fernandez but also by ex Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa, when in Argentina. The bar's name is quite indicative, “Words' Bar, or Bar of Words”.

“I feel spiritually much better standing next to Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. I am deeply confident of her honesty. Many of us know her and believe in her honesty”, Valdes was quoted following the testifying in court of the ex president.