Latin America

sandensea

(21,650 posts) Tue Aug 7, 2018, 08:40 PM Aug 2018

Former Argentine Vice President Amado Boudou sentenced to over 5 years, despite lack of evidence

Last edited Tue Aug 7, 2018, 11:12 PM - Edit history (1)

Former Argentine Vice President Amado Boudou was sentenced today to 70 months in prison on influence peddling charges related to a 2010 bailout of a government printing contractor.

The court ordered his immediate detention - a departure from precedent allowing those found guilty on similar charges to remain free pending appeal.

Boudou was charged with “passive bribery and incompatible negotiations for a public official” related to the proposed 2010 federal bailout of Ciccone Calcográfica, the only private firm authorized to print currency and state-issued documents in Argentina.

Prosecutors alleged that Boudou authorized the bailout in exchange for a 70% share. No documents connecting Boudou to the firm, however, have emerged since the allegation was first made on a right-wing talk radio show on February 6, 2012.

The proposed bailout was rejected in 2011 and Ciccone, which owed a $60 million tax debt, was ultimately nationalized in 2013.

Boudou maintained his innocence, noting that no evidence existed to substantiate the charges - which were instead based on hearsay from co-defendant Alejandro Vandenbroele.

Vandenbroele, who had taken a plea bargain, nevertheless testified that Boudou had not taken part in the alleged buyout plan.

A question of revenge

Boudou believes the case was orchestrated for political reasons.

“This is a question of revenge. I was told I wouldn't be forgiven for nationalizating AFJPs (private pension funds),” he said before the verdict. “This administration has many former AFJP officials.”

Boudou, 55, had served as social security director, economy minister, and vice president for former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - a leading political rival to current President Mauricio Macri.

Boudou's nationalization of insolvent AFJPs during the 2008 crisis was widely credited with saving the nation's retirement system.

Private pension schemes were introduced in Argentina in 1994 on advice of the IMF.

Though initially popular, AFJP accounts were subject to commissions of 30% to 54%. Many were fraudulently used to unload unwanted stock, and by 2008 the state subsidized 77% of beneficiaries at a cost to taxpayers of $3 billion annually.

Following Boudou's advice, in October 2008 Kirchner nationalized AFJPs, which were transferred to the ANSES social security agency.

AFJP managers vowed revenge at the time, promising that “this will cost them.”

Argentina's Federal Retirement Fund (FGS) tripled to $63 billion by the time Kirchner left office in late 2015.

Among the conditions recently agreed to by Macri with the IMF in exchange for a $50 billion bailout, is the sale of FGS assets.

At: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagina12.com.ar%2F133653-los-metodos-no-importan&edit-text=

Unforgiven: Former Vice President Amado Boudou, who oversaw the successful nationalization of insolvent private pension funds in 2008, was promised it would “cost” him.

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Former Argentine Vice President Amado Boudou sentenced to over 5 years, despite lack of evidence (Original Post) sandensea Aug 2018 OP

Astounding! Beyond belief. Macri and company OWN the justice system, it appears, if this can happen. Judi Lynn Aug 2018 #1

Simply can't get the Macri prosecution's invention of the term "passive bribery" out of my mind! Judi Lynn Aug 2018 #2

They do like improvising in the courtrooms, no doubt about it. sandensea Aug 2018 #3

Judi Lynn

(160,592 posts)

1. Astounding! Beyond belief. Macri and company OWN the justice system, it appears, if this can happen.

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Wed Aug 8, 2018, 03:28 AM

Aug 2018

There is so much more to find out about this debacle, it will take time as I just discovered your thread early in the morning, Wednesday, August 8, having heard nothing about this prior to the moment.

The first thing that came to mind was Clarín, the powerful newspaper which lavished praise and approval 24/7 upon the Dirty War dictatorship, whose publisher consorted with Rafael Vidala, arch-dictator, in high profile at so many public events, as her paper printed photos of Vidala toasting her, escorting her formally, while Clarín completely whitewashed the sinister, sadistic kidnap, torture, murder, terror machine serving the interests of the wealthy fascist elites. Clarín continued, after the reign of the dictators, always attacking the progressive element of the people, the indigenous people, immigrants, etc. to this very day, and protects and promotes Macri. Is this, more or less, descriptive in ways we outsiders would see it, sandensea?

Took a quick look at a Wikipedia, and found this, searching for "Clarín" UNDER Boudou's name:

In October 2010 Boudou compared Candelaria de la Sota and Martín Kanenguiser, journalists from Clarín and La Nación, with the people cleaning the gas chambers during the Holocaust.[12] Kanenguiser requested clarification, but Boudou instead defended his statement.[13] His attack was condemned by the FOPEA (an organization of journalists), members of the legislature,[14] and the DAIA.[15] The DAIA accused him of trivializing the holocaust, and Congressman Eduardo Amadeo demanded his resignation;[15] Boudou later stated that this was a badly chosen metaphor.[16]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amado_Boudou

This tells me they've been trying so hard to derail him politically for a very long time. It means they see him as potentially an important new player, capable of being a respected leader. Would that be a realistic assumption?

In the years of watching Latam politics it has become apparent they ride and harrass all notable progressive politicians with every bit has much determination and hatred there as they do here.

So much to find out about this fascist pursuit and treachery against Boudou. Immediately the images of Lula, Rousseff, and all the others do swim across one's inner eyes. It has to mean he was already very effective, and had attracted murderous hostility which had to be satisfied any and every way possible up to assassination, if necessary, just as it goes toward all the other progressives, from the first. Fascists intend to control everything, no exceptions.

In the end, they are still going to lose. That part is unavaoidable. They don't realize they lost everyone's respect a very long time ago with only the criminally insane and jaw-droppingly stupid finding their politics attractive!

Thank you for the information, looking forward to learning much more as soon as I get the necessary time. Sure hope their plan will backfire. It certainly should, clearly.

Judi Lynn

(160,592 posts)

2. Simply can't get the Macri prosecution's invention of the term "passive bribery" out of my mind!

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Wed Aug 8, 2018, 05:16 AM

Aug 2018

That HAS to be one of the oddest oxymoronic "legal" terms anyone ever tried to use. Good grief! "Passive bribery."

I guess they believe they should passively throw him in the slammer, too.

Leaves one in shock.

sandensea

(21,650 posts)

3. They do like improvising in the courtrooms, no doubt about it.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Reply #2)

Wed Aug 8, 2018, 11:39 AM

Aug 2018

By passive bribery - a common legal term in Latin America (I should have mentioned that) - they're referring to a public official who was bribed without necessarily soliciting it; but simply because the briber understood that whatever deal or contract he was pursuing, couldn't happen without the official's consent.

That has to proven by evidence - and it certainly wasn't.

It wasn't even supported by direct testimony; but rather by hearsay on Vanderbroele's part, who claimed he was "told by someone who heard" that Boudou was in the middle of this.

The Macri-stacked court, of course, accepted it. They also denied him the right to remain free pending appeal - as is standard practice.

As you know, there are over 20 Kirchner-era officials who've been in jail for months - or in a few cases, over a year - without being convicted, and in some cases without even being charged.

I have no problem with investigating any and all public officials - but these Stalin-like show trials are unaccceptable.

Over 50 Macri officials, you'll recall, were found in the Panama Papers and other leaks - including Mr. Macrisis himself. Not to mention the campaign finance money laundering scandal, Odebrecht, and other scandals.

Charges are always dropped, usually without even examining them.

Basically, it's the "lock-her-up" chant as jurisprudence. That, as you know, is exactly what Cheeto and his Chumpkins would like to impose here in the U.S.

Thanks as always for your research and ideas, Judi. Hope the summer's treating you well.

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