This Wednesday, the Actrices Argentinas collective made a publication on its Instagram account in which it requested justice for the complainant of Fernando Espinoza, a La Matanza mayor recently prosecuted for simple sexual abuse and disobedience. In addition, he urged Estela Díaz, Minister of Gender of the province of Buenos Aires, and Governor Axel Kicillof to “break the silence that supports this type of crimes.”
The head of the Buenos Aires municipality, the largest in the province, was prosecuted on Wednesday the 15th after the investigating judge of the Federal Capital María Fabiana Galletti signed the ruling in which he was also seized for 1.5 million pesos.
Espinoza, who is currently in his fourth term as mayor (he governed between 2007 and 2015, took office again in 2019 and was re-elected last year), is accused of “immodest touching” by his former secretary, Melody Rakauskas.
Two years ago, the woman reported the mayor to the Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 8 of the Federal Capital after working under a false identity for a month for the historic leader of the Justicialist Party. As she herself explained in an interview, she was hired under another name because she was a Miss Argentina model.
According to the woman’s testimony, Espinoza “invited himself” to her house on three occasions. In the last one, on May 10, 2021, the episode occurred for which he denounced the mayor. According to the complainant’s story, Espinoza took off her pants, approached her and groped her. Then, faced with the woman’s resistance, Espinoza left the home.
Rakauskas also stated that both Espinoza and an ex-partner close to the mayor tried to persuade her to withdraw the lawsuit.
What Argentine Actresses said
During the afternoon of this Wednesday, the Instagram account of Actrices Argentinas shared a statement in reference to this situation.
Along with a photo of a note from Clarion, the text prepared by the group says: “Fernando Espinoza, mayor of La Matanza, was prosecuted for simple sexual abuse and disobedience. The complainant was his secretary and she had been hired ‘under the table’. After the complaint, the official violated the imposed restrictions and tried to contact her.”
“Judge Fabiana Galletti adds to the accusation of sexual abuse a clear abuse of power in her arguments for the prosecution,” adds the statement, which then points out two important names in the provincial government, Governor Axel Kicillof and Estela Díaz, Minister of Gender.
“We wonder if a man prosecuted for sexual abuse will continue to hold the position of Mayor of the largest municipality in PBA. We urge the Minister of Gender of PBA, Estela Díaz and Governor Axel Kicillof to break the silence that supports this type of crimes. We ask for Justice for the complainant of Fernando Espinoza”, closes the publication.
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