Representatives of the victims' families in the ARA San Juan sinking requested the maximum five-year prison sentence on Tuesday for four former high-ranking Argentine Navy officers.
During the first day of closing arguments before the Federal Oral Court of Santa Cruz in Río Gallegos, lawyers Lorena Arias and Valeria Carreras argued that the sinking of the submarine on November 15, 2017, was not an unforeseeable event. They stated it resulted from a chain of decisions, omissions and ignored warnings within the naval command structure.
The lawyers requested five years of effective prison and disqualification from public office for the accused Luis Enrique López Mazzeo, Claudio Villamide, Héctor Alonso and Hugo Correa. They pointed out that the ARA San Juan had accumulated technical problems and that the mission proceeded despite existing warning signs.
“The sea did not sink them,” the victims' family representatives said. They stressed that the 44 crew members lost their lives due to failures and negligence that could have been avoided.
The trial will continue with statements from other plaintiffs and the defenses. The verdict is expected in the coming weeks.
