At the beginning of December, Macri pre-awarded the last section of the work to complete the construction of prison complex. Through a publication in the Official Gazette, the Ministry of Infrastructure awarded the company Criba the development of the 30% remaining from federal prison.
Now, this Wednesday, the works resumed. “We care much more about resolving than arguing. And what we have to do is finish the prison,” said the Head of Government this day, during a tour in which he supervised the tasks.
Macri was accompanied by the Security Ministers, Waldo Wolff of Infrastructure, Pablo Bereciartua, and Justice, Gabino Tapia, and the Secretary of Security, Ezequiel Daglio. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Once the work is completed and the transfer of the prisoners from the Devoto prison to Marcos Paz is authorized, the Buenos Aires Legislature will define the use that will be given to the land included in Pedro Lozano, Desaguadero, Nogoyá and Bermúdez streets, in the Commune 11.
“Today our police stations and wardens are full of detainees for federal crimes: 9 out of 10 detainees should not be there, but serving their sentences in prisons like this one. Police stations and wardens are not places of permanence. This not only puts police officers and staff at risk, it also affects the safety and well-being of residents,” said the capital’s mayor.
The City accelerates works to finish the Marcos Paz prison
The new prison is within a 80 hectare property and will have an accommodation capacity of 2,240 places. It will have four units with an administration building, a programs and services (EPS) building for the unit’s internal security command, a health area, videoconference rooms for inmates and professionals, visiting areas, a gym and a sector educational for workshops of work and job training.
It will also have a space for food ration distributor and a campus determined by the hosting modules divided into five independent sectors with soccer fields and spaces for orchards.
“The work had been suspended due to the bad relationship that existed with the government of Alberto Fernandez, that complicated our lives because the detainees were not taken to the police stations and wardens of the City. Now we will have greater capacity to house detainees and eventually remove the Devoto prison, a desire of the neighborhood and the entire community. City”, held.
Last November, the City agreed with the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, the creation of its own Penitentiary Service. A month later they signed the agreement that transfers the powers of the Federal Penitentiary Service to the City for non-federal crimes.
“This allows detainees who committed crimes within the City to be guarded by specialized prison personnel,” they stated and added: “This was another step in the consolidation of Buenos Aires autonomy and the fight against insecurity.”
After the fight between Bullrich, Larreta and Jorge Macri, the City advances with the works in Marcos Paz
The head of government’s announcement came after the dispute between Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Patricia Bullrich at the end of December, when the head of Security accused the former head of Government of not having completed the works on the Marcos Paz prison. The minister’s statements provoked a response from the former mayor of Buenos Aires, who maintained that The responsibility in relation to the works in the prison is federal in nature and currently they are the responsibility of the portfolio that leads Bullrich.
The current Buenos Aires president got into the fight against his predecessor by ensuring that he “had the money to advance with the works” but “There were other priorities.” “I had money because other things were done, but always in management one defines priorities,” Macri told LN+.
Larreta was not far behind and came out to respond. “The construction of the prison in Marcos Paz is a work of the national government, which must be financed with national funds” he said and added: “Between 2019 and 2023 there was no transfer from the national government to the city to finish the prison. Nor was ownership of the Devoto prison land transferred to the city, which would have been another way to finance the work.”
However, on the last point, he criticized the current head of Government. “If the funds were there, then why was a year wasted without laying a single brick? Let’s not argue anymore. “Finish the work!” he demanded.
Weeks ago, Macri had fired shots at Larreta for the management of the prisons in CABA. In an attempt to defend himself against criticism over prisoner escapes, he stated: “There have been fewer escapes so far than in the last year of Horacio’s administration.” And he added: “I don’t know why that year there was much less advertising than this year, but we have a significant overpopulation.”
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For prisoner escape, City charged five police officers
The escape of prisoners from the wardens accelerated the time for the Buenos Aires government to resume the works. During the past year, dozens of detainees escaped from Buenos Aires detention centers. The last case took place in December, in a Liniers penitentiary, from where 17 people fled, later recaptured.
For this massive escape, five police officers from that Buenos Aires police station were charged. for “favoring the escape of a detained or convicted person”, so, if found guilty, they could receive a sentence of between one month and four years in prison.
Furthermore, if the author is a public official, an absolute disqualification for three times the amount of time will be imposed.
This massive evasion led to the removal of Pablo Kisch and Jorge Azzolinachief and deputy chief of the City Police, respectively, who were replaced by Diego Casaló and Carla Mangiameli.
Source: Ambito
