translated from Spanish: Patricia Bullrich responded to Sergio Maldonado over Santiago’s death

Over the course of the week, the Justice ordered Santiago Maldonado’s case to be reopened after a ruling and the dispute between the family of the 28-year-old young activist and tattooist, led by his brother Sergio, and the security leg of the management of Mauricio Macri, was reopened, Minister Patricia Bullrich. The latter spoke of the relationship with the other party and rejected the criticism.” All this has been very difficult, because before anything was known, when the government offered help to Sergio Maldonado, he already had a decision made than had happened with his brother,” she said of the victim’s 77-day disappearance , found on the Chubut River.

The cause of Santiago Maldonad was reopened and the “abandonment of person” is inevstigated. Photo: NA

“There could never be rational dialogue. We were the most interested in knowing what had happened. He has made this a flag, he wants reality to fit his version and this is not the case. It’s not going to fit into reality unless someone wants to manipulate it,” Bullrich added on Radio Mitre. On the other hand, he backed Gendarmerie’s innocence to the charge of a enforced disappearance of Maldonado. The basis of this theory was the protest of the Mapuche people in Cushamen with the security forces, which ended in a repression in which the young man was last seen. In relation to that accusation, Bullrich added: “Argentina needs legality, a rule of law. Members of the security forces also have human rights. They cannot be charged per se just for being members of a security force. You can’t have a look per always blaming the security forces.”

Sergio Maldonado again criticized Patricia Bullrich and held Gendarmerie accountable. Photo: NA 

Now, the Resolution Chamber of Comdoro Rivadavia speaks of a possible “abandonment of person” and the minister diverted him from Gendarmerie to those who stood by Santiago on that occasion. “That’s if they’d seen him and didn’t help him. That is more aimed at those maldonado’s companions who did nothing.” “What happened was very clear: there was a protest that cut off the only route, Gendarmerie cleared the day before, cut the route again and Gendarmerie again acted and tried to stop in flagrantness, but he had no physical contact with any of the members of the Group. If he had been arrested or seen, they would have helped him,” he said.

Original source in Spanish