Argentina Prosecutor seeks to reunite Hotesur and Los Sauces trials

Federal Prosecutor Diego Velasco has filed an appeal with the Federal Chamber of Cassation to reunite the Hotesur and Los Sauces judicial cases into a single trial. The request seeks to overturn a decision by the Federal Oral Tribunal (TOF) No. 5, which ruled to separate the proceedings.

The TOF No. 5 judges argued that while the cases share a historical context and certain defendants, they possess “distinct procedural objects.” However, Prosecutor Velasco contends that splitting the cases “fragments the judgment of maneuvers” that are interconnected. He warned that separate trials could hinder the ability to reconstruct the investigated facts and evaluate linked evidence comprehensively.

The defendants in these cases include former President Cristina Kirchner, her son Máximo Kirchner, and businessmen Lázaro Báez and Cristóbal López. The Hotesur case investigates alleged money laundering through hotel businesses, while the Los Sauces case examines hypotheses of illicit association and laundering via real estate and hotel operations.

Currently, the Los Sauces trial is scheduled to begin on October 23, while the Hotesur debate is set for March 19, 2027. Velasco requested that both debates be held within this year to avoid irreparable procedural difficulties.