Alberto Fernández was accused of treason to the homeland for his statements about the Malvinas

The former Kirchnerist president Alberto Fernández has been criminally charged for the alleged crimes of treason against the homeland and revelation of information from the Argentine State, following the controversial statements he made about the military capabilities of the country amid the renewed claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

The legal filing, reported this Monday by LN+ by journalist Luis Gasulla, came after Fernández publicly used the state of the Argentine Armed Forces to send an unusual message of reassurance to the United Kingdom: “Let the English not worry because Argentina is absolutely disarmed”.

The statements were made during an interview in which the former president sought to question the policy on the Falklands promoted by the government of Javier Milei, which in recent days announced new measures to strengthen the Argentine claim over the archipelago and protect the natural resources of the South Atlantic.

Fernández, who served as president from 2019 to 2023 and thus acted as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, not only claimed that the country was disarmed but also attacked the current government's decision to rebuild military capabilities. In this regard, he described the acquisition of 24 F-16 fighter jets as a “embezzlement” and asserted that the aircraft were “an old relic” that were “useless.”

The statement about the Argentine military situation generated a strong political reaction, particularly due to the context in which it was made. Argentina maintains a sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands, as well as the surrounding maritime areas, while London maintains a significant military presence in the South Atlantic.

During the same interview, Fernández described Milei's recent national address on the Falklands as a “show” and questioned the strategy adopted by the Casa Rosada. His remarks even provoked criticism for having used information related to national defensive capabilities to discredit the current president in front of a foreign power.

The very Santiago Caputo, presidential advisor, had previously condemned the stance of the Kirchnerist leader. “I can't think of anything more traitorous than to side with the United Kingdom just to oppose President Javier G. Milei”, he stated.

The complaint will need to be judicially evaluated to determine whether the expressions and information disclosed by the former president can be classified under the indicated crimes. The case will be drawn this Tuesday, and then it will be known which prosecutor will be in charge of the investigation.