Global Courant
During the tense public hearing in which the statement of the chambermaid Ana María Figueroa, who must decide whether Cristina Kirchner goes to trial for the Hotesur cause, was debated, the radical senator Julio Martínez warned that for three and a half years, Congress and especially the Senate are “prioritarily traversed by a judicial agenda.”
Before the chambermaid’s gaze, the man from La Rioja made a synthesis of the projects that Kirchnerism, under the influence of the vice president, included in the upper house’s agenda. He mentioned the judicial reform, the expansion of the Court, the new law of the Council of the Magistracy and the modification of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Projects that were the pillars in the strategy of the ruling party in its attack against the Judiciary that were approved by the Senate, but that were not successful in the Deputies, where the Frente de Todos is obliged to seek agreements to meet.
Criminal Cassation Judge Ana María Figueroa and Senator Julio Martínez. Photo: Federico López Claro
The most spicy phrase that Martínez left in his speech during the debate on the documents to fill judicial vacancies was when he pointed out to the judge that the Senate was having “busy” days. “Thanks to you and the interest that the ruling party, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Kirchnerism have in prolonging their mandate, it is evident,” she completed.
Figueroa showed some political waist and returned: “Welcome senators, I hope it was for me that the third part of the Judiciary that is vacant is covered once and for all.”
Beyond the anecdote, what has happened in recent months in the Senate somewhat reflects what was described by the opposition senator. The last session of last year, which was held in November, was on the brink of a scandal because Kirchnerism and its allies met alone to validate the appointments of their representatives to the Judicial Council.
The objective was to impose Martín Doñate as counselor, keep three places in the organization and leave Juntos por el Cambio with only one. This maneuver by the ruling party to want to keep the place of the third minority had previously been questioned by the Supreme Court, after a precautionary measure presented by Luis Juez, who had been proposed by the opposition.
In addition, in that session, the Frente de Todos ended up approving the specifications for the Federal Court of Appeals of Comandante Luis Piedrabuena and among those appointed was Marcelo Hugo Bersanelli, judge of Río Gallegos, former brother-in-law of Máximo Kirchner and who once represented the former president.
In March, after more than four months without activity, despite the extraordinary period, the vice president had to call a session in the Senate due to pressure from the opposition. But the ruling party wanted to impose her agenda and she was left alone, without a quorum, with senators shouting in the same room and new embarrassment.
It was not until April 13, after five months of paralysis, that the Senate returned to session and once again Kirchnerism took the opportunity to cast a package of documents to fill judicial vacancies that included the continuity of Figueroa, who seeks to continue for another 5 years since in August he will turn 75, the age limit to hold the position.
Two months after that session, the only one so far this year, the ruling party is pressing to bring the senators together to approve the chambermaid’s statement that must decide if Cristina and her children Máximo and Florencia go to trial, accused of money laundering .
But it would also take the opportunity to give entry to another 18 documents, among which are the appointments of Juan Rafael Stinco, closely linked to Axel Kicillof since his tenure at the Ministry of Economy, and María Laura Manín, Undersecretary of Administrative Management of the Ministry of Inside and arriving at Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro.
The end of the doctrine of Eugenio Zaffaroni
Another piece of information that Martínez pointed out in Wednesday’s hearing has to do with a change in the doctrine of Kirchnerism, “validated by Eugenio Zaffaroni”, who was opposed to extending the mandate of judges who reached retirement age.
One of the most emblematic cases was that of Carlos Fayt, who since 2010 the ultra K sought to retire him. Even “an investigative process” was enabled in the Impeachment Committee to determine if he was mentally fit to hold the position.
Something similar is happening now with the impeachment trial initiated against the current members of the highest court, which, like what happened with Fayt, will not advance on the premises and the objective is focused on the deterioration of the public image.
There was also pressure to retire Elena Highton de Nolasco, who, upon reaching the age limit of 75, asked to continue in office. It was Cristina Kirchner who reproached him for not having followed Zaffaroni’s path and even she spoke of an agreement with Cambiemos, at that time.
The inactivity of the Senate is not focused on the campus. Six months into the ordinary period, only a handful of commissions were set up, mainly those that Kirchnerism needs to support its judicial agenda, such as Agreements, Justice and Budget, and there were others that were set up as part of a negotiation with the opposition.
A political trial that has no future
The panorama that exists in the Chamber of Deputies is not very different, where since the extraordinary ones, the focus of attention has been focused on the impeachment process against the Supreme Court of Justice, which the Frente de Todos seeks to sustain beyond the elections.
Rodolfo Tailhade and Vanesa Siley, deputies from the All Front with important prominence in the Political Trial committee. Photo: Federico Lopez Clear.
In the last hearing in May, the ruling party announced that they had 186 witnesses to summon, which at a rate of five or six statements per weekly meeting would allow them to keep the commission open until next year.
However, Frente de Todos finds it difficult to guarantee a quorum. At the meeting on May 18, he did not get the number due to the absence of his own deputies and last Tuesday the hearing had to be suspended because two deputies had health problems.
To this is added that in three weeks the electoral campaign will start and it will be more difficult for the deputies to return from their provinces.
In the corridors of Congress they talk about an unprecedented situation, they even wonder if it is not a record that by the middle of the year very few commissions were created and the rhythm of meetings was almost non-existent.
