First Anniversary: Once relatives to march, blame gov’t

Relatives of the victims of the Once railway station tragedy confirmed a demonstration at Plaza de Mayo for tomorrow to mark the first anniversary of the accident, which occurred on February 22, 2012, and in which 51 people perished.

At the press conference to announce the event, Paolo Menghini Rey, the father of Lucas Menghini Rey, a fatal victim of the Sarmiento train line crash, emphasized that “for the government, the tragedy never existed, and is silenced methodically,” and called for “everyone to take part” in the act “without political and union partisanship.”

“For us it is very important to have reached the trial stage this year, and we also hope that the court will set a date to begin a date for debate this year,” Menghini Rey affirmed, referring to the inquiry in which Trains of Buenos Aires (TBA) businessmen, former public officials, and engine driver Marcos Antonio Córdoba have been indicted.

The victim’s father, a figurehead for the victims’ relatives, argued that “everything is proven” because “investigations have been absolutely comprehensive” in demonstrating the “lack of control, maintenance and squandering of funds.”

The victims’ relatives also hit out at the Argentine Football Federation’s (AFA) “ambiguous” attitude with regard to the request to hold a minute’s silence in honour of those who perished during this weekend’s fixtures, and to come on to the pitch with River Plate players bearing a banner calling for justice.

“Last April, we were not allowed to stage ceremonies in any of the stadiums, despite having the collaboration of all the clubs but we did not receive AFA’s authorization. Tomorrow I will be communicated a response but the deputy president has already recognized that they did not discuss the issue at the last board meeting,” said Ángel Cerricchio, the father of Matías Cerricchio, another fatal victim.

Herald with DyN, Telam, Ambito.co