Lorena Villaverde’s career has been, until recently, an example of meteoric rise. Coming from the tourism and real estate sector of Río Negro, the current representative managed to position herself at the small table of La Libertad Avanza, becoming one of Karina Milei’s most trusted leaders, after a frustrated step in the Senate. However, behind the image of political renewal, Villaverde has time and again been left at the center of the storm: first due to a narco-scandal from her past, and now due to a complex judicial network that has her in its sights for an alleged real estate scam that almost reaches $100 million.
The conflict centers on the “El Tajamar” urban development project, located in the rural area of Las Grutas de Río Negro. What was promoted as a unique investment opportunity on the Patagonian coast is today denounced as a misleading advertising maneuver and breach of contract that has left numerous families adrift.
The origin
The judicial investigation, led by Court No. 9 of San Antonio Oeste, reveals that the operation consisted of the sale of land by Villaverde that, although they exist, appear in the records as “rural plots.” This technical condition makes any type of legal deed or development impossible unless there is a specific exception to the urban planning code, a procedure that, according to the accusation, was never carried out.
Three friends fell into this trap: Martín Nicolás Larreguy, Hugo Maximiliano Cabral and Hugo Iván González. They, natives of the San Antonio Oeste area, trusted the word of the then businesswoman and at the end of 2020 they purchased three lots in Las Grutas through sales receipts. These lots were identified with numbers 11, 12 and 13 of block P, with an area of 516.18 m2, 495.84 m2 and 494.21 m2 respectively. “With our life savings we decided to buy those lots. On December 30, 2020 we met at Villaverde’s house in Las Grutas to sign the ticket,” says Larreguy.
At that time, a bill of sale was signed for a value equivalent to $5,940,000. They provided an advance payment of $2,970 and it was agreed to pay the rest in 48 installments. The purchase and sale contracts establish a period of 10 months for the delivery of the land, extendable for another 6 months in case of exceptional circumstances. Villaverde’s commitment was to deliver the plots with opening and paving of streets, drinking water and electricity network, leveling, curb curb and public lighting.
The delivery period originally expired in August 2022. Although the buyers paid the entire payment towards the end of that year, today, three years after the stipulated date, the land remains inaccessible and lacks any basic services.
Complaint. Added to all this is an irregularity. According to Dr. Verónica Arizcuren, representative of the victims, Villaverde promoted the lots as his own, although in reality they are in the middle of an inheritance dispute with his brother, which prevents him from granting full and legal possession of them. The three friends describe the entire operation as a “planned scam.” “They sold us lots that legally did not exist. We paid in installments, we trusted and then we learned that they couldn’t give us anything,” says Cabral. “They deceived us with advertising and promises that Las Grutas was going to have a private neighborhood. There was never any paperwork, there was never any progress,” says González.
Deputy Villaverde’s defense, led by Dr. Gerardo Collado, insists that the delays are a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the lawyer, the confinement paralyzed electricity providers such as Aguas Rionegrinas and EDERSA, in addition to making it difficult to import materials. However, this argument is described as “pathetic” by the complainants. They point out that the purchase and sale ticket was signed on December 30, 2020, when the pandemic was already underway and all restrictions were public knowledge. “If she continued signing contracts and collecting fees during that period, it is because she acquired the risk,” they maintain from the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed on September 25, 2024 in Court No. 9 of San Antonio Oeste, under file SA-00223-C-2024. The plaintiffs not only demand the termination of the contract, but also comprehensive reparation amounting to $98,639,820.42. The breakdown of the compensation requested reflects the magnitude of the perceived damage: “Property Damage ($6,960,976.17), for the updated value of the land and the return of the money invested, moral damage ($10,000,000), based on deception, frustration and the psychological impact of seeing family savings lost, punitive damage ($19,934,460), civil fine intended to sanction the provider’s conduct for its lack of diligence and disregard for consumer rights, lost profits ($61,744,384.25), calculated on the income that the buyers stopped receiving due to not being able to rent or use the properties during these years.”
Lawyer Arizcuren says: “They left my clients alone, without assistance and adrift. The legislation requires providing the victim with comprehensive reparation for the property and/or non-property damages caused, none of which should be left without due reparation.”
Crosses
From those around the deputy they have tried to divert attention by describing the cause as a “political operation” by the opposition. In responses sent by email, Villaverde has suggested that the complaints are “folders” promoted by sectors linked to Rio Negro Kirchnerism. However, the evidence provided by the victims seems to say otherwise.
Among the evidentiary material presented before the Court are payment receipts with the handwriting signature of Lorena Villaverde, bank transfers addressed directly to her and to suppliers that she herself indicated, ARCA invoices issued by Villaverde herself for specific amounts of the installments and there are even recordings of conversations with Javier Rubio, Villaverde’s administrator, where he admits that the deadlines are expired and that “he cannot guarantee times” because he does not have clear logistical or operational information.
Currently, the case is in the evidentiary stage. Lawyer Arizcuren has requested the general inhibition of assets and the seizure of the deputy’s assets to guarantee that, in the event of a favorable ruling, the victims can recover their money. At the end of last year, Judge Santiago Morán, of the Civil Jurisdictional Unit 3 of Bariloche, placed an embargo on the deputy’s diet until it covered $40.5 million.
The most worrying thing for the community is that, according to testimonies, the sale of lots under this modality could have continued through social networks such as Instagram (@Urbanizacionvillaverdelg) and with the name “Villa Verde Las Grutas”, despite the fact that the official website was deactivated.
The case of Lorena Villaverde transcends real estate to become a public ethics dilemma. As the Rio Negro Justice moves forward, the question that remains in the air is whether a representative of the people can hold his position while facing such serious accusations of defrauding his own neighbors.
*By Norma Cabada, Magalí Saja, Matías Luna and Micaela Serrano, students of students at the University of the South of Buenos Aires.
by Norma Cabada, Magalí Saja, Matías Luna and Micaela Serrano
