BUENOS AIRES (AP/EFE).— Former Argentine first lady Fabiola Yáñez testified yesterday before the federal court in her country in the context of the case in which she accused former President Alberto Fernández (2019-2023) of alleged gender violence.
Fabiola Yáñez gave a testimony via Zoom from the Argentine consulate in Madrid, where she resides, confirming before federal prosecutor Ramiro González the complaint she recently filed in writing when she became a plaintiff in the case, the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported in a statement.
The former first lady, 43, has promised to provide additional information to complete her statement, the prosecutor’s office said.
Reproductive violence
Hours before her statement, the former first lady stated in a written statement that Fernández forced her to have an abortion in 2016, according to local media reports the day before yesterday, and asked the courts to be a plaintiff in the investigation opened for alleged injuries in the context of gender violence.
According to her, Fernández exercised “reproductive violence” at the beginning of a relationship in which there were episodes of “harassment and violence”, as well as “psychological harassment”, which were “constant”.
He also said that he suffered “serious injuries” that “left psychological damage that continues to this day.”
The couple had a son, Francisco, in April 2022, who currently resides in Madrid with her.
Audience
Present at yesterday’s virtual hearing from Buenos Aires were prosecutor González and representatives of the Specialized Unit on Violence against Women and the General Directorate of Support, Guidance and Protection of Victims.
Fernández, a 65-year-old Peronist leader who left power in December 2023, has publicly denied the allegations made by his ex-wife and announced that he will provide evidence of his innocence to the courts.
Asked by AP about her client’s statement, attorney Mariana Gallego said she would not discuss the matter with the media.
The lawyer accompanied Fabiola Yáñez during the court hearing held via Zoom from Madrid.
Chats
Fabiola Yáñez denounced Fernández a week ago, shortly after the alleged chats that during the presidential term she exchanged via her mobile phone with María Cantero, who was the then president’s private secretary, came to light, in which the former first lady would have referred to the alleged acts of violence suffered.
These conversations were detected by the courts in the context of a case of alleged corruption in the contracting of insurance for state agencies that implicates Fernández and his former secretary, which included the review of telephone messages exchanged between the two.
In recent days, Argentine media have published images showing Fabiola’s face and armpit with marks of what appear to be blows, which the former first lady allegedly sent via WhatsApp to Fernández’s former secretary.
In a recent interview with the portal “Infobae,” Fabiola said, in reference to the alleged physical and psychological abuse suffered at the hands of Fernández, that “the worst was the last year” of his government, when she went to “live in the guest house” that is located on the same property as the presidential residence on the outskirts of Buenos Aires with their young son to maintain distance.
Since Ms. Yáñez’s accusations came to light, Fernández has not been seen outside the apartment where he lives in Buenos Aires and is isolated from the bulk of his fellow Peronists.
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2024-08-25 14:24:32
