CFK vows to make 'any decisions necessary' in aftermath of Once tragedy

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner reappeared in public on Monday and for the first time spoke about the train accident in which 51 people were killed and 703 others were injured. She assured that she would make “any decisions necessary” once the matter is resolved in court.

The President gave her speech from Rosario, in the Santa Fe province, in front of the Flag Memorial where the commemoration ceremony for the 200th anniversary of the first hoisting of the Argentine flag was taking place.

“I would like to ask everyone involved in the investigation for something. It shouldn’t take you any longer than fifteen days to determine who was responsible for this. 40 million Argentines and victims of the crash need to know what happened and who was responsible,” she said.

At the same time she clarified she was not asking authorities to work within a timeframe in order to determine who was at fault in the case. 

“In this case, we should have justice once and for all,” she said.

“I would like to tell (the victims) and the 40 million of Argentines, those who like me and those who don’t, that I’m going to make whatever decisions necessary once the investigators reach a conclusion,” she emphasized. 

The President mentioned the Once tragedy as she began discussing her administration’s unfinished business. “Of course there are still things to be done. We need to have a railway system in Argentina once again,” she admitted.

She also addressed the recent widespread criticism towards her long silence after the accident, and assured that people shouldn’t await “speculation or shallow speeches during a moment of grief. I can’t stand those who want to take advantage of pain and tragedy.”