Argentina's Spygate: "If I could have a Gestapo to terminate all labor unions, I would"
Argentine politics was rocked this week by video footage in which former Buenos Aires Province Labor Minister Marcelo Villegas expressed his desire for a "Gestapo with which to terminate all labor unions."
Villegas, 58, who served in former Governor María Eugenia Vidal's 2015-19 tenure, was filmed in a June 15, 2017, meeting with provincial as well as Federal Intelligence (AFI) officials.
Vidal, 48, remains a top figure in former President Mauricio Macri's hard-right PRO party - and has presidential ambitions for 2023.
The meeting, held in downtown Buenos Aires, was attended by 9 right-wing officials and 4 lobbyists: Villegas; then-Provincial Infrastructure Minister Roberto Gigante; then-Provincial Justice Undersecretary Adrián Grassi; La Plata (provincial capital) Mayor Julio Garro; Provincial Senator Juan Pablo Allan; four construction lobbyists - and two top Macri-era AFI officials.
Lawfare
The "need to build up cases" against the country's often restive labor unions was stressed by Villegas to the lobbyists present - reflecting Macri's alleged use of lawfare against opponents, as well as his call that year to have labor leaders and leftists "ejected in a rocket to the moon."
The AFI officials present included then-Counterintelligence head Diego Dalmau Pereyra and Darío Biorci - Chief of Staff (and brother-in-law) of disgraced former AFI Deputy Director Silvia Majdalani.
Dalmau Pereyra and Majdalani - and over 40 others, including Macri - have been indicted for their roles in the far-reaching Spygate scandal involving warrantless surveillance on hundreds of critics and allies alike during Macri's 2015-19 term.
Federal Prosecutor Ana Russo of La Plata filed a criminal complaint today against Villegas for the alleged persecution of local UOCRA (construction) unionist Juan Pablo "Pata" Medina, who was jailed within weeks of the meeting.
Villegas' diatribe was condemned by Argentina's Jewish community (Latin America's largest), and drew comparisons to the country's fascist dictatorship in 1976-83 - when of the 8,960 found to have "disappeared" in a 1984 report, 30% were union members.
At: https://www-infobae-com.translate.goog/politica/2021/12/27/marcelo-villegas-el-ex-ministro-bonaerense-que-pretendio-crear-una-gestapo-para-armar-causas-judiciales/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US
Former right-wing Buenos Aires Province Governor María Eugenia Vidal and then-Labor Minister Marcelo Villegas.
Footage emerged on Monday showing Villegas, in a 2017 meeting with lobbyists and top intelligence officials, calling for a "Gestapo with which to terminate all labor unions."
Villegas' words reflect an alleged policy of warrantless surveillance and outright lawfare against labor leaders and leftists during former President Mauricio Macri's 2015-19 term.
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And sure enough, he and his allied judges and officials (including this man Villegas) were doing to their critics what Trump wanted to do here if he could.
Argentina, as you know, has a long and sordid history of malicious prosecutions - or worse.
"He's making Argentina great again!" (financial collapse ensues)
It doesn't seem as if that racist, classist. conscience-free fascists has been even slightly chastened by the reputation their predecessors earned for themselves through their absolutely brutal, vicious treatment of people without political power.
Funny thought went through my mind, seeing Vidal's face as she stood beside Villegas: she has a downright arrogant, snotty, imperious expression, standing next to someone with less power in the fascist world, whereas in photos with Macri, she ordinarily maintained a more self-effacing, awkward, knavish posture!
Here's hoping people of conscience in Argentina paid very close attention to Macri's lackey's comments regarding the working class. Thanks for this interesting news.
Because she's very good at playing up this "damsel in distress" act - when it's common knowledge she's as cynical, calculating, power-hungry, and malicious as anyone in politics. Like Sarah Palin - but sharper.
Very observant of you, Judi - as always.
Nor can she account for a recently-purchased $550,000 apartment - close to 4 times the median in Buenos Aires.
But - like Trump - none of it affected her approval much among right-wing voters, and she's currently the odds-on favorite for the 2023 'Together' nomination.
(you'll recall they were first called "Let's Change", then "Together for Change", and now just "Together" )
Thanks as always, Judi, and Happy New Year in advance! 