Argentine justice charged President Alberto Fernández for the alleged violation of the mandatory confinement ordered last year by the same government to deal with COVID-19, local media reported on Thursday.
The case reached wide media coverage after photos of Fernández celebrating his partner’s birthday with friends at the presidential residence in the suburbs of Buenos Aires in July 2020, when social gatherings were banned on his own initiative, were circulated in August.
Opposition lawmakers called nearly two weeks ago for an impeachment trial of the president, which is unlikely to succeed because Congress is under the control of the ruling party.
Two weeks before the primaries for the november midterm elections, the situation would have hit the ruling Peronism, according to some polls.
According to the newspapers Clarín and La Nación, among other media, federal prosecutor Ramiro Gonzalez found elements to formally accuse Fernandez of violating the quarantine. Reuters attempted to contact the prosecution, but received an immediate response.
Hours earlier, the president had presented himself to the courts to offer financial compensation by way of conciliation.
