Five members of the board of directors of the United Argentine Port Union (SUPA) of Chubut who face preventive detention on charges of extortion, a crime with effective sentences of 5 to 10 years in prison, They threatened to “start war” amid an escalation of tension with fishing businessmen.
In the last days of December, the province of Chubut was affected by the loss of 468,000 kilos of prawns due to a joint conflict that “covered a network of corruption and extortion that generated million-dollar losses for the industry,” considered the provincial government.
It was the government of Ignacio Torres the one who denounced the union for “ecocide and extortion” against fishing businessmen. Given the million-dollar losses caused by this situation, Torres and the fishing businessmen filed the corresponding complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The complaints targeted Alexis Gutiérrez, Claudio Villarroel, Bruno Vega, Juan Inalef and Juan Zambrano for extorting and demand money from businessmen between August and September of last year in exchange for not interrupting port activity with forceful measures.
It was Gutiérrez who, from the door of his home where he was complying with the preventive measure, maintained that “If they want to wage war on the port dockers, we are going to wage war”. Meanwhile, the prosecutors involved in the investigation assured that they will request sentences of between 5 and 10 years in prison against the SUPA union members, against whom an investigation was opened for extortion and threats.
Karina Breckle, The judge in charge of the process maintained that the fact being investigated “is serious. It has caused fear and dread to the alleged victims and their families.“, in addition to affecting the social peace of the province, the State coffers and the environment.”
At the opening hearing of the investigation, where the judge decided on preventive detention, she added transfer records and chats linked to the accused. The red of corruption was documented with evidence such as WhatsApp messages, telephone calls and bank transfers to personal accounts, where SUPA members were involved.
After a quick intervention by Rawson’s attorney general, Florencia Gomez, Progress was made with the request for one month of house arrest for the five union members.
“Prawns had to be thrown away, that’s criminal. That is why we told the prosecutor to file the corresponding complaints.. “Whoever strikes again and that’s why a shrimp rots is going to have to respond to Justice,” Governor Torres warned in the context of the investigation.
To resolve the imprisonment for a period of one month for the five defendants, Judge Breckle limited the scope of the union privileges of the union leaders of the United Argentine Port Union (SUPA). For this, she ruled that article 248 of the provincial Constitution was unconstitutional.
He argued that in this specific case “There is no relationship between the crime being investigated and the union activity of the accused. The union privileges provided for in the Constitution are there to protect the interests of the workers, not to protect particular interests.”
The complaining businessmen who were also present at the hearing were Raúl Cereseto, Rafael Suárez, Ezequiel Jaroslavsky, Sergio Pantano and Luis Santander. The prosecution also evaluated the possibility of add the charge of illicit association due to the existence of a union mafia that he used the guild to enrich himself personally.
This important blow against corruption in the fishing industry demonstrates the commitment of the provincial government and judicial authorities in the fight against impunity and crime.
In that sense, Torres met today with the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, to promote an agenda focused on three axes: the installation of scanners for the control of drug trafficking in the ports of Chubut, the creation of a joint command in Trelew with federal forces, and to advance strongly against the seizures that exist today in the “Los Alerces” National Park.