BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A federal prosecutor on Wednesday charged Argentina’s former president Alberto Fernández with violence against former first lady Fabiola Yáñez.
Public prosecutor Ramiro González has charged Fernández with the crimes of “light and serious injuries, doubly aggravated” and “coercive threats” against his ex-partner, according to a ruling seen by The Associated Press.
González also requested additional evidentiary measures, including the inclusion of testimonies from, among others, former presidential doctor Federico Saavedra and former secretary of the president María Cantero.
Fernández, a left-wing Peronist politician who served as Argentina’s president from 2019 to 2023, strongly denied her accusations and vowed to prove in court “what really happened.”
Yáñez testified Tuesday before an Argentine federal court as part of a case involving she convicted Fernández for alleged gender-based violence.
The former first lady testified via video call from the Argentine consulate in Madrid, where she lives, in which she confirmed to prosecutor González the complaint she filed in writing last week.
The charges against Fernández come weeks after Yáñez’s allegations first surfaced among thousands of leaked text messages examined by federal investigators in a separate embezzlement case against Fernández. That case accuses Fernández of irregularities in the awarding of state insurance contracts — allegations he also denies.
In recent days, the Argentine press has published photos showing wounds on Yáñez’s face and armpit that the former first lady allegedly sent in a message to Fernández’s former secretary.
Since Yáñez’s allegations came to light, Fernández has not been seen outside the apartment where he lives in Buenos Aires.
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