Cecilia Strzyzowski: the ghost of impunity that challenges political power

He September 14, 1990 marta peloni I head the first “March of Silence” through the streets of Catamarca. There were 66 in total. Maria Soledad Moralesa teenager of 17 years who was in the fifth year and wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, had been found murdered near the Villa Parque Chacabuco sports complex. They had sexually subdued and beaten her so violently that her jaw was shattered and her skull was virtually crushed.

The first official version pointed to her boyfriendLuis Tula. And she was not that far from reality, just that Tula was not the only one responsible as the political power of Catamarca tried to quickly establish itself to close the circle and cover the real murderer: william lukethe son of National Deputy Angel Luque. The crime of Maria Soledad consequence the fall of the government of ramon saadi and the intervention of the province.

That nun, who became a symbol of the fight against impunity of the ruling regime, would reappear years later in the face of another femicide with the same edging as the Soledad Case: the horrifying murder of paulina lebbosa 22 year old student from Tucumán who was in the third year of Social Communication.

Cecilia Strzyzowski case: they search for the body after the statement of the landlord of the Sena family

Paulina had disappeared on February 26, 2006 after going dancing with friends (it’s amazing how history always repeats itself). Like María Soledad, Paulina went to a bowling alley in San Miguel to celebrate the end of a subject. Some “sons of power” from Tucuman would have been at that party. Thirteen days later she would appear murdered on the side of provincial route 341. The body was unrecognizable: presented stab wounds, scalp holes and cigarette burns.

Alberto Lebboshis father, pointed from the outset against Daniel and Gabriel Alperovichthe children of the former governor of Catamarca and historic Peronist leader, and Sergio Kaleñuk, son of Alberto, former secretary of the provincial president. However, they never perfected the jail and with the passage of time suspicions were diluted with judicial delays and really suspicious situations.

Lebbos denounced an endless number of irregularities from minute zero: the crime scene had been tampered with (confirmed by the expert who took the first photographs of Paulina’s body and testified in one of the three trials), they destroyed genetic evidence, the samples taken from the place were poorly preserved, they threatened the baqueanos who found the body and even the trades they were faked.

The chain of cover-up was colossal. Carlos Albacathe second prosecutor who had the case, finished sentenced to six years in prison. They did not follow the clues that pointed to political power, they left key expertise to rot and others that were not directly harmed; Evidence was lost, and a lot of time.

“When I was making the complaint about the disappearance of Paulina, the deputy chief of police was talking with the secretary Kaleñuk about that situation. All these maneuvers started from the first day and were perfected over time. when prominent actors appeared, such as the former governor Alperovich or the prosecutor Noguera”, reminds Lebbos to PROFILE.

“I’m not going to commit suicide”: the testimony of a former employee of Emerenciano Sena

As in Catamarca with María Soledad Morales or in Tucumán with Paulina Lebbos, The disappearance of Cecilia Strzyzowski (28) once again strongly challenges political power. In this case with the figure of the most powerful and influential man in the province: Jorge Capitanichcurrent governor of Chaco.

Emerenciano Sena (58)main piquetero leader of the province and candidate for provincial deputy, and his wife Marcela Veronica Acuna (51), pre-candidate for Mayor of Resistencia for the Chaco Front, are detained for their alleged connection to the disappearance of her daughter-in-law, who was last seen alive on June 1. Also caesar (19)one of his children, and partner of the victim.

The main hypothesis that the researchers handled is that Cecilia was murdered in the house of her husband’s parents. The evidence they have is compelling: A security camera would have recorded the woman’s entry, but not her exit. Two hours later, César would appear on the scene with several black bags that he would later load into a van. glory rosemaryCecilia’s mother has already lost hope of finding her alive: “It’s late, my daughter is dead”, recognized in the last hours.

Lebbos, who has been seeking Justice for his daughter for more than 17 years, assures that the woman will have a tough battle ahead. “I tell him to prepare very hard for a very long fight. And I ask all the people of Chaco and the whole country to help her. There are no words to describe the effort you are going to have to make, ”she warns.

Paulina’s father acknowledges that his daughter’s case has many points in common with Cecilia’s. “I don’t see some coincidences, I see a lot of coincidences. These situations of criminals who disguise themselves as officials, as politicians, commit the most atrocious crimes because they feel they are powerful public, they feel unpunished, and they believe they can do whatever they want. They kill more with pens than with guns. They censor, cover up, and hide what is happening because they know that this invisibility leads to impunity,” he told PROFILE.

Who is Emerenciano Sena, the person arrested for the disappearance of Cecilia Strzyzowksi

“The Warlord of the North”

Emerenciano is the head of the Movement of Unemployed Workers (MTD)a social organization that was born out of fines in the 1990s. In 1998, during the protests over the floods that affected several neighborhoods in Resistencia and Barranqueras, the MTD built a precarious house in front of the Chaco Government House. They called her the “dignity ranch”. It sought to make visible the precarious living conditions of the unemployed.

Sena began to gain prominence as complaints and roadblocks grew during the 2001 crisis. Over time, it added social plans, subsidies and credits for its affiliates.becoming the main representative of the most needy.

Cecilia Strzyzowski case: the defense lawyer resigned due to “irreconcilable differences” with the Sena family

Like all social leaders, he began to forge alliances and make agreements with the power of the day. He became a bishop for “Coqui” Capitanich, whom chose as best man at his wedding, on December 7, 2012, and also entrusted him with the prologue of his biographical book “Emerenciano, the Warlord of the North”, in which the governor defined it as “the only Catholic Marxist he knows.”

In the past decade, Sena was also close to Domingo Peppo, Governor of Chaco between 2015 and 2019 and current ambassador of Argentina in Paraguay. The one he did not establish a good relationship with was the lieutenant governor Juan Carlos Bacileff Ivanoffwho replaced Capitanich when he was appointed chief of staff of the Nation, from November 2013 to February 2015.

Bacileff Ivanoff called him a “professional squeezer” and a “humble swindler.” “They are mercenaries who drive 4×4 trucks and have million-dollar houses,” he said, clearly referring to Sena. The MTD leader responded harshly: compared him to the dictator Jorge Videla and even to Adolf Hitler, and requested federal intervention in the province.

Heritage

According to forecast records, Both Sena and his wife are listed as employees of the Madres Plaza de Mayo Foundation and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of Chaco, from the year 2013 to 2023.

in the house on the street Santa María de Oro at 1400where it is suspected that Cecilia may have been murdered, the investigators found more than 6 million pesos and automatically the Federal Prosecutor of Resistance, in charge of Patrick Sabadin, initiated a case for the crimes of evasion and money laundering. Until now no one knows the origin of that money.

The three main targets – in addition to César and his parents there are four more detainees – are accused of the crime of “aggravated homicide by the premeditated concurrence of two or more people”. No one declares, and this morning César’s lawyer announced his resignation from the defense due to “irreconcilable differences.”

Cecilia Strzyzoswki case: the audios that Emerenciano Sena and Marcela Acuña sent from the police station to their militants

“Evidence elements that prevent me from continuing to effectively defend my clients were incorporated,” explained joseph diazwho also assisted two other defendants, Fabiana González and Gustavo ObregonClose to Seine. “They are strong evidence that did not result from the witness statement, but from two raids, they are all very objective,” expanded the lawyer.

Since they were questioned, Sena and Acuña They evaded Cecilia’s family, installed false versions and even raised a political hypothesis. The mother of the main defendant assured that her daughter-in-law was alive, a possibility that at this time sounds far-fetched. She seemed more aware of the elections on Sunday, June 18. Perhaps, did she feel unpunished herself?

LN/ds