Ex-advisor of former Argentine President Mauricio Macri asks for political asylum in Uruguay

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Macri declares that he “does not agree” but says he “understands.”

Fabián Rodríguez Simón, ex-advisor to former Argentine President Mauricio Macri, has formalized his request for political asylum in Uruguay, and therefore may not be extradited for a period of 90 days, the deadline for authorities to decide on the status of the former high-ranking official, who has been charged with illegal association.

According to Uruguayan law, every person “has the right to request and be granted refuge in order to safeguard his or her life, physical, moral and intellectual integrity, freedom and safety.” Thus, it states that anyone who “due to a well-founded concern of being persecuted on grounds of belonging to a certain ethnic or social group, gender, race, religion, nationality or political opinion, is outside the country of his or her nationality” will be recognized as a refugee.

For his part, Rodríguez argued that there is a “decision to deprive him of his freedom as soon as he returns” to Argentina, reason for which he has requested asylum, according to information from Clarín newspaper.

The former high-ranking official had traveled to Uruguay authorized by the Argentine justice system itself, which is investigating him in a case that seeks to determine whether he was part of an illegal organization with the aim of persecuting entrepreneurs.

Rodriguez held two posts during Macri’s administration, but none of them were related to judicial matters: he was director of YPF energy company for the Argentine government and Argentina’s representative in the Parlasur (MERCOSUR Parliament).

“This defamation campaign has turned into a campaign of hatred and harassment on social networks that leads me to fear, in addition to my freedom, for my personal safety if I return to Argentina,” he stated.

Now, the Argentine justice has requested his arrest at the international level as his defense had assured that he would return to Argentina on May 15, something that never happened.

Rodríguez had lodged two habeas corpus appeals in Uruguay, one of which was rejected on May 6 and the other is being analyzed. Macri, for his part, has expressed that he “does not agree” with his decision but said he “understands” it.

“He told me about it, I was surprised. I do not agree, but I understand it. (…) I trust that although there are judges who sway in the Argentine institutional system, I trust in an end result,” said the ex-president. Thus, he pointed out that “there is clearly a persecution against me, my family and my ex-officials.”