A bomb package detonated on Friday in the National Gendarmerie Higher School in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, addressed to former director Diego Gasparutti, lightly injuring two officers. The package had been stored for nearly four months, and authorities are investigating its origin and motive. Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi requested SIDE involvement in the probe.
The explosion occurred around 1:50 p.m. in an office on the 11th floor of the National Gendarmerie Higher School building, located at 500 Paseo Colón Avenue in the San Telmo neighborhood, Buenos Aires City. The device, a box resembling private correspondence with a detonator inside, exploded when opened, causing minor burns to two officers who were taken by SAME to Argerich Hospital and are out of danger. Additionally, a third person received on-site treatment and another oxygen assistance for smoke inhalation.
The package was addressed to Commander Major Diego Gasparutti, who had left the institute's directorship in mid-2024. According to investigation sources, the package had been stored for approximately four months at the headquarters. Gasparutti was in the building at the time of the incident to retrieve personal belongings, which is now part of the investigative lines.
Following the explosion, around 320 people from the building and adjacent structures were preventively evacuated. A large security operation included firefighters, City Police, and medical teams, with traffic cuts and diversions. National authorities such as Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva and SAME head Alberto Crescenti attended the scene.
The case is under Federal Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi, who ordered tests by the Argentine Federal Police's Antiterrorist Investigation Unit to determine the explosive's origin, how it entered the building, and the attack's target. The judge also requested SIDE involvement, working jointly with the Intelligence area and the Federal Police. Investigators are reviewing security cameras, correspondence records, and possible personal or professional links related to Gasparutti.
