A former minister from Chubut was sentenced to prison for the irregular handling of donations during the 2017 climate emergency

  • Leticia Huichaqueo, former Family Minister of Chubut, faces a sentence of 4 years and 8 months in prison and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
  • She was convicted of embezzlement and fraudulent administration in two cases: “Royal Canin” and “Climate Emergency.”
  • The emergency occurred in 2017, when historic rains devastated Comodoro Rivadavia. It was found that Huichaqueo was involved in the irregular handling of donations for victims.

The essential. The former minister of Chubut familyLeticia Huichaqueo, received a sentence of 4 years and 8 months in prison and perpetual disqualification from holding public office, after combining two sentences against her. Corruption cases, known as “Royal Canin” y “Climate Emergency”revealed the misuse of donations and resources intended to assist victims after the storm in Comodoro Rivadavia in 2017. The ruling highlights that Huichaqueo and her husband They clandestinely sold donations of balanced animal food on social networks.

Leticia Huichaqueo (Public Fiscal Ministry of Chubut)

Leticia Huichaqueoformer Minister of Family of Chubut, faces a sentence of four years and eight months in prison, along with perpetual disqualification from holding public officeafter the judge Eve Ponce decided to unify two sentences against him.

The sentence was announced on Wednesday, October 30. Omar Rodríguez, head of the Anti-Corruption Unit, had requested five years in prison, while his defender, Javier Romero, asked for a four-year sentence.

Huichaqueo was found guilty in two judicial proceedings: the “Royal Canin” case and that of the “Climate Emergency”. LThe emergency referred to took place between March and April 2017, when An unprecedented storm hit Comodoro Rivadavia and caused almost 400 mm of rain, something that left the city in critical condition. The then governor of Chubut, Mario Das Neves, declared the region a “disaster zone,” and had indicated that “the entire population of Comodoro Rivadavia,” which has more than 200,000 inhabitants, was affected “in some way or another.” other”.

In the context of this catastrophe, Huichaqueo was accused of the illicit management of funds and resources intended to help the victims. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Chubut reported the following: “In the cause of the climate emergency, Huichaqueo was sentenced to two years of suspended prison plus perpetual disqualification from holding public office when she was found guilty of the crime of fraud against the public administration, in addition to fraudulent administration.”

The second cause, known as “Royal Canin”, involved the clandestine sale of 450 bags of balanced food donated by the firm. Royal Canin through the Casa del Chubut in Buenos Aires, with the intention of assisting people and pets affected by the storm. The Public Prosecutor’s Office verified that Huichaqueo and her husband, Juan Carlos Gómez, marketed these donations at a low cost through social networks, as reported. Infobae recently.

The floods that hit the city of Comodoro Rivadavia (Photo: Florencia Downes/Télam)

According to prosecutor Marcos Iturrioz, only a small part of the balanced food reached some animal protection NGOs. Regarding this case, the Public Prosecutor’s Office stated: “For the reason, Royal Canin, also in an oral and public trial, (Huichaqueo) was found guilty and sentenced to be perpetually disqualified from holding public office plus four years of effective prison for the crime of embezzlement as a continuing crime.”

During the sentence unification hearing, prosecutor Rodríguez emphasized that “There were twelve judges who confirmed his guilt in the events.” He stressed that Huichaqueo took advantage of “the State’s lax controls” at a time of extreme urgency, when the population of Comodoro Rivadavia required immediate assistance after severe damage to infrastructure and thousands of homes. The prosecutor added that Huichaqueo’s conduct eroded citizens’ trust in institutions, by abusing her position as Minister of Family, whose main objective is “human and family development.”

During the hearing, Huichaqueo’s defense, led by Javier Romero, maintained that the former minister did not increase her assets as a result of these illicit acts and that she always complied with judicial provisions. Romero presented documents that prove Huichaqueo’s participation in training courses, as well as medical records on his state of health, in an attempt to reduce the sentence, according to what was stated by Day Diary. Huichaqueo, who is currently under house arrest at his home in Gaiman, participated in the hearing remotely and reiterated his innocence, in addition to reporting on his physical and mental situation, according to a statement from the Prosecutor’s Office.

In addition to Huichaqueo, other officials were also convicted of crimes linked to the 2017 climate emergency in Chubut. Among them is Marcelo Fabián Suárez, former undersecretary of Social Promotion of the Ministry of Family of Chubut, who received a sentence in August 2021 for aggravated concealment and ideological falsification of a public instrument. Suárez would have falsified documents to cover up the diversion of donations during the storm, ensuring in sworn statements that the donations of balanced food had been delivered to the municipal authorities of Comodoro Rivadavia, when in reality they were sold irregularly.

Suárez, then Undersecretary of Social Promotion (Source: Public Prosecutor's Office of Chubut)
Suárez, then Undersecretary of Social Promotion (Source: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Chubut)

In September 2024, the Supreme Court of Justice upheld Suárez’s conviction. by dismissing a complaint filed by his defense, headed by Sebastián Daroca. The court considered the claim “inadmissible” under Article 280 of the National Civil and Commercial Procedure Code, signed by judges Horacio Rosatti, Carlos Rosenkrantz, Juan Carlos Maqueda and Ricardo Lorenzetti. Before reaching the Supreme Court, Suárez had appealed to the Criminal Chamber of Trelew and the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Chubut, although both organizations ratified their responsibility in the events.

Suárez’s case originated after the great storm that affected Comodoro Rivadavia between March 29 and April 9, 2017. This phenomenon, described as one of the worst climate crises in the region, left thousands of people homeless , destroyed critical infrastructure and created the urgent need to rebuild more than 3,000 homes. The seriousness of the situation led to the sending of donations, including pet food, that were diverted from their original purpose.

Meanwhile, recently, in the case called “Climate Emergency I”, the Collegiate Court of Comodoro Rivadavia handed down sentences of up to five years in prison against two former Kirchnerist officials of the Municipality and eleven others accused of fraud against the Public Administration during the storm of 2017. Former municipal secretaries were found responsible for diverting public funds that should have been allocated to infrastructure works designed to counteract flooding in the region.

The sentence comes after an oral trial that began on May 7 and culminates with convictions for former secretaries Abel Boyero and Rubén Palomeque, along with businessmen accused of not complying with the projects agreed with the municipality to mitigate the crisis. The local administration authorized the direct hiring of 197 companies and road machinery to remove mud and repair damage, which facilitated the diversion of funds through false payments and reports, with the approval of Boyero and Palomeque, officials of the then mayor. Carlos Linareswho was acquitted in the case and is currently a senator.

Droversentenced to five years, was Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Services, while Palomequesentenced to four years, headed the Community Services secretariat. Both were disqualified for life from holding public office when the diversion of approximately $408,000 that was to be used for repairs that were never carried out was proven.

Furthermore, the court presided over by Judge Mariano Nicosia and integrated by Martin Cosmaro y Carlos Tedesco sentenced businessmen such as Roberto Monasterolo, Cristian Pérez, Javier Morales and Hernán Lobos Rosas to sentences of between 3 and 5 years in prison, and ordered the seizure of their assets and the reimbursement of funds to the municipal administration as compensation for the damages.

Four municipal inspectors, who approved certificates of works not executed, were also sentenced to 2 to 3 years in prison and permanent disqualification from public office. The judges highlighted that the crisis context was exploited by those involved, taking advantage of the urgency to evade controls in the hiring of companies.

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