The defense of Lázaro Báez reported on October 18 that he did not know the whereabouts of the businessman after his transfer from the Río Gallegos prison to Ezeiza, describing the situation as “extreme institutional gravity”. According to Perfil, lawyer Yanina Nicoletti warned Judge Néstor Costabel that neither family nor defenders had been officially notified. Báez, 69, suffers from high blood pressure, heart failure and a recent diagnosis of arrhythmia that led to several hospitalizations in recent months. The confirmation by senior warden Mariano Torrens that Báez was no longer in the prison, without providing details, fueled suspicions of an irregular transfer.
The case escalated quickly in networks and media, where there was talk of a “technical missing person”, expression that sparked controversy due to its historical significance. The defense filed a complaint before the Federal Oral Court No. 4 to demand details about the operation, arranged after the judicial rejection of the house arrest requested for medical reasons. They argued that the stress of the transfer and his heart condition could aggravate his condition. Amid criticism of Javier Milei’s government, the lack of information generated confusion and concern for the businessman’s physical integrity.
On October 19, the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich denied the versions. “The Justice ordered the Penitentiary Service to transfer Lázaro to CP1, the Ezeiza prison. Due to a certain issue, that the runway was not in good condition, part of the journey was made in a special car and the other by plane. The lawyer was notified. He was transferred properly from one prison to another. And in the face of complaints, we hope – before denying – to demonstrate that they are always generating lies,” describing the complaint as a “media show” with the aim of pressuring for judicial benefits, without referring to Báez’s health.
It was later confirmed that the businessman He was in the Ezeiza Penitentiary Service Hospital. However, his defense team assured: “The transfer was never notified to his lawyer or his family. They were hours of great uncertainty.” Although Bullrich closed the case, the defense insists that he did not have immediate access to his client and warned that the lack of communication could have put his cardiac stability at risk.
