Vice President Victoria Villarruel said an interview by former first lady Fabiola Yañez detailing the violence she allegedly suffered at the hands of ex-President Alberto Fernández “means nothing” for those who couldn’t bury deceased loved ones because of the COVID-19 pandemic measures.
President Javier Milei’s second-in-command has not condemned the violence that allegedly occurred, nor publicly extended her sympathies to Yañez, since the allegations first arose.
“Fabiola’s interview means nothing for those of us who saw our family members die and were not able to have a wake and burial like they deserved,” Villarruel wrote in an X post on Sunday. “Forgive me if my sensitivity is not adequate, but I struggled with lockdown and I lost my father to those shoddy protocols from that government of repugnant people.”
On Saturday, Argentine outlet Infobae released an interview with Yañez where she talks about the alleged threats, isolation and infidelity she experienced during Fernández’s 2019-2023 term as president. Yañez formally reported Fernández for gender-based violence on Tuesday after chats and photos of her with bruises were reported by the press. The pictures and chats themselves leaked to the press on Thursday.
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Yañez said she sought help from the now-defunct Women, Genders and Diversity Ministry, but received limited response from them. The ministry was first demoted to a secretariat and then dissolved by President Javier Milei and Villarruel’s administration.
In her post, Villarruel continued: “Sorry I don’t feel sorry for the 21 pleasure trips the ex-first lady took on the presidential plane, while hundreds of thousands of Argentine small and medium companies went bankrupt” during the pandemic.
“I apologize for not empathizing with the US$36,000 the Argentine people will have to pay from their pocket for her guards in Spain while thousands of women in violent situations don’t have that same privilege,” the Vice President said.
On Friday, Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said that he “completely condemns” what happened to Yañez “if the pictures are real,” adding that “the judiciary has to carry on with the investigation” and that if Fernández is guilty, “he must pay for what he did.”
“Good job the women’s ministry is closed. Period,” he also posted on X on Saturday.