The representative of Argentina in the Bolivian embassy, Ariel Basteiro, spoke regarding the case of the Argentine who died in the neighboring country hours following he was hit by a truck and denied medical attention. “It is an unfortunate fact and it is not justified no matter how much one seeks answers”, he clarified.
“At first we did not find out from the family, the one who intervened went to the Cochabamba consulate where the situation occurred”, says Basteiro in communication with TN. He explained that he became aware of the matter when it was made public only on the seventh or eighth of last week, almost five days following the death of Alexander Benitez. “The family contacted the consulate to repatriate the bodies. The consulate intervened and more quickly than usual it was possible to repatriate”, clarified the former Kirchnerist national deputy.
He relativized his responsibility for the incident and the consequent communication with the family because “the jurisdiction that takes action in the matter is the consulate of Cochabamba”, because “these types of procedures are carried out by the consulates, as well as the relationship with family members, because the embassy does not have operational capacity”, but it does “intervene for meetings with the Government”.
He indicated that where Alejandro was transferred, it is a small town more than 100 kilometers from more populated centers such as Santa Cruz and Cochabamba and that what was required of him was the payment of the transfer to a more complex medical center, because yes “he was treated emergency” in the hour and a half that he was in the room.
“In Bolivia there are communication problems. It is a very small town that generated a particular delay and what the first aid room requested was 1,000 Bolivian pesos (145 dollars). I am not justifying it but you have to understand the Bolivian health system”, argued the ambassador. “He is very deficient and the reason they needed him was not to treat him, because they treated him, but to be able to transfer him to Santa Cruz or Cochabamba, that was the response we received from Bolivia,” he explained.
He indicated that he already A meeting was organized for 5:00 p.m. between Argentine and Bolivian authorities “so that this does not happen once more and that the communication system is streamlined”. It exemplifies that during the year there were two or three accidents where there was no charge. But because they happened in places with better communication and more important study centers nearby”.
On the other hand, the Chancellerythrough its embassy in La Paz, formally raised this Tuesday an official protest note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, “demanding explanations and expressing its deep concern regarding the situation of the death of an Argentine citizen, that he was in a life-threatening situation and did not have the necessary medical treatment.”
The complaint of the Argentine Government responds to the death that occurred on July 3, when the teacher from Salta and retired Alejandro Benítez was hit by a truck in a curve between the route that joins Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba. The Argentine was traveling through Bolivia and was traveling by motorcycle. According to his relatives, he was denied medical attention and died.
According to government sources consulted by THE NATIONthe family of the deceased Argentine contacted the Argentine consulate in Cochabamba once he had already died, for which intervention might not be taken previously.
