Argentina: Martin Soria named new Justice Minister, replacing Marcela Losardo

[sandensea]

2. I agree. My impression of Mrs. Losardo, when she was appointed, was that she wouldn't last

Last edited Tue Mar 16, 2021, 11:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Losardo's a good example of where Fernández's judgment is sometimes off.

She was, frankly, appointed mostly because she and the president have been friends and law office partners off and on since college (i.e. 40 years).

But she clearly lacks the initiative needed for a post like Justice Minister (least of all in Argentina!).

That said, the biggest thorn in Fernández's side is the Chief Federal Prosecutor, Eduardo Casal (Opus Dei).

Casal, you may recall, was named by Macri in 2017 after forcing out his predecessor, Alejandra Gils Carbó, in an effort to squash the ongoing federal probe into his using his office to write off his family's $250 million from their 1997-2003 ownership of the Postal Service.

Casal was never confirmed by the Senate - but after 4 years, he's still in that powerful post (it oversees all federal prosecutors) because Fernández's pick (Daniel Rafecas) has been help up in the Senate by right-wing obstruction.

(sounds familiar, no?)

In any case, Losardo refused to check Casal at all - leading to among other things Casal's protecting indicted extorionist Carlos Stornelli (the Macri prosecutor caught shaking $12 million down from businessmen in the d'Alessio case).

So here's hoping Soria can move some of these sorely needed judiciary reforms forward: top among them, ditching the inquisitorial system; and moving Rafecas' nomination forward.

'Inquisitorial' (as you probably know) basically means that the judge cross-examines witnesses, and directs all avenues of inquiry and even prosecutions.

Suffice it to say it's far too much power for any one person to have - no matter how ethical he/she may be.

Here's a good illustration, as seen in Time for Revenge - a 1981 thriller about a mining engineer (Federico Luppi) seeking to expose a corrupt mining firm after witnessing several deaths due to unsafe conditions.

The judge in this case is sympathetic to Luppi's character, and is acting quite ethically (many wouldn't). But you can see what a corrupt judge could do, if he/she wanted to. Thanks as always, Judi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5593&v=kIyGdVaedVg&feature=emb_title