In a surprising resolution, federal judge Pablo Montesi declared the statute of limitations for the takeover of the Argentine Pavilion of the National University of Córdoba, which occurred between August and September 2018. This occupation, which lasted 31 days and caused significant damage to the building, as well as economic damage to local merchants, went unpunished almost six years later.
Prosecutor Maximiliano Hairabedián had repeatedly warned about the possibility of the case’s statute of limitations. However, despite the fact that all those involved were summoned to trial and only a date needed to be set for its start, Montesi decided close the case due to the passage of time.
One of those most affected by this decision is Gustavo Posadas, who owned the bar located inside the Argentina Pavilion. During the student occupation, the man lost all of his products and his electricity was cut off, thus breaking the cold chain. Furthermore, he had to close his business and fire your employees.
“I was the victim of an occupation back in August 2018 and I spent almost 30 days with my business taken over by a group of students from the Faculty of Arts. A fairly long time passed and I could not enter my work, nor could my 12 employees who worked there because we had the space occupied,” described Gustavo in dialogue with Chain 3.
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Asked about what the students’ measure meant to him, he expressed that everything represented a very great damage. “We couldn’t work, they hurt me a lot Regarding the use of the facilities, there were shortages of merchandise and an endless number of things. For this reason, I made a report with a notary public to record all the damages and what had already happened in that term of the almost 30 days that the Argentina Pavilion was taken,” he added.
The bar owner maintained that was not notified by Justice regarding the acquittal of the defendants who took over the emblematic UNC building and who, despite commerce being paralyzed, had to continue paying their obligations as a merchant.
“Newly I found out through the media that these people who occupied the Pavilion were acquitted. They did not allow any of the employees who work inside to enter, there was no possibility of entering. They hurt me a lot because, being unemployed for almost a month, I had to pay salaries, contributions, taxes and all the obligations that one has as a merchant and wait a few days after the takeover to be able to restart work,” he lamented. .
The taking over of the Argentina Pavilion was one of the most relevant events of 2018 in Córdoba. Despite the damage caused, no one will be convicted or face any legal sanction.
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In September 2018, students from almost all faculties of the National University of Córdoba carried out different actions to improvements in public education and in support of the teachers’ salary struggle, which included mobilizations, assemblies and occupation of faculties, which included the takeover of the most emblematic building of the University City.
Some time later, the students were charged by federal prosecutor Graciela López de Filoñuk with charges of usurpation and dispossession according to article 181 of the Penal Code, which provides for a sentence of between six months to three years in prison, but which would be releaseable.
In the last few hours, federal judge Pablo Montesi declared the statute of limitations for the case due to the advance of time.
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Report by Francisco Centeno.
