Prosecutor Guillermo Marijuan was caught in the crack. It was from his request to dismiss Cristina Kirchner in the cause known as La Ruta del Dinero K. Those media and politicians who cheered him on in 2016, when he appeared in the Patagonian fields of Lázaro Báez with backhoes looking for millionaire booty that never found, they are the same ones who today criticize him for the decision to close the CFK chapter in one of the most scandalous causes of recent years.
What happened? Marijuan engaged in the most passionate discussions in the country. He participated in the first march for the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman. In those years, an audio of him saying that Cristina Kirchner was “on the brink of arrest” was also leaked. He was, without a doubt, a prosecutor who had his sights on the former president. He also held meetings with the then president Mauricio Macri with the aim of stinging to be in charge of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Today, more than a decade after the file of La Ruta del Dinero K began, Marijuan wrote: “Having passed more than ten years since the beginning of this criminal process and almost five years since the investigative statement of the named -by CFK- Within the framework of this file, I have not been able to gather probative elements that lead me to advance beyond the state of suspicion”.
In the prosecutor’s opinion, a passage from the investigation of the suitcase Leonardo Fariña was cited, which was what led to the involvement of CFK. He stated that at the end of 2010, Baéz called Fariña to tell him about a meeting he had had with “the boss” -for Cristina-, who had asked him if he was “taking money abroad”, because the United States embassy had told him warned that the price of the euro blue had been altered due to the large movements of money from Báez. In that same meeting, Báez and Fariña promised to be “more prudent in their movements.” In 2019, Room 2 of the Federal Chamber, unusually, changed Fariña’s testimony and said that the one who had asked Báez for prudence had been Cristina at that meeting. Now, Marijuan confirmed that the dialogue in which “prudence” was agreed was between Báez and Fariña, leaving CFK out.
For this decision, the media and opposition politicians criticized him. Elisa Carrió said: “Guillermo Marijuan is a close friend of Sergio Massa”, implying that the prosecutor requested the dismissal at the request of the Minister of Economy. In 2016, when the former Secretary of Public Works, José López, was arrested with 9 million dollars and a machine gun in a Buenos Aires convent, Marijuan had been interviewed and defended at that time his actions with the backhoes and also Carrió. “At that time they laughed that there could be things hidden underground or they laughed at Dr. Carrió, who has contributed many interesting things. It seems that you don’t have to laugh so much and work more, ”he said. Times have changed.
Massa’s relationship with Marijuan is a friendship that goes back to the years in which the former worked at Anses and the latter was appointed as a prosecutor specializing in crimes against Social Security. These days it was remembered that the years of intense investigation of Marijuan against CFK coincided with those of the opposition Massa, threatening to put “the gnocchi from La Cámpora” in jail.
But Marijuan also has a close friend to the vice president. This is Carlos Beraldi, Cristina Kirchner’s lawyer, who was the prosecutor’s teacher and the person who made him go to work in the Courts. Every time Marijuan had to speak publicly about Beraldi, he always had complimentary words. In court, those who know Marijuan and know about his relationship with Massa say that they have not spoken for more than two years and that perhaps the prosecutor’s decision has more to do with his respect for Beraldi. Although they are puzzled by the prosecutor’s change of attitude.
Now judge Sebastián Casanello will have to define what he will do with Cristina Kirchner. In the file there are two other plaintiffs that are the UIF and the AFIP, which it is estimated that they will not go against the vice president. What can happen? If the two complaints respond that they agree with Marijuan’s request, the accusation would be dropped and therefore the judge will have no other option than to remove her from the list of accused of the K Money Route.
