Argentina
Galmarini Defended the Trip to Barbados with Massa and Said the Plane Was Provided by a Friend
The Buenos Aires province senator responded to the complaint filed by Lilia Lemoine and said the couple can afford their vacations according to their priorities. The main flight was made on an aircraft linked to Francisco De Narváez.
Malena Galmarini gave public explanations about the trip she took with Sergio Massa to Barbados to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and said the transfer was made thanks to a longtime friend who provided them with a plane.
In an interview with Nancy Pazos on C5N, the Buenos Aires province senator rejected the idea that the trip was excessive and said that she and Massa manage their expenses according to their own priorities. She also said they have lived in the same house for 30 years and that their sworn financial disclosures have been public for years.
According to information published by Perfil, iProfesional and La Nación, the main leg of the trip was made on a Gulfstream G-500 linked to businessman Francisco De Narváez. Versions circulated about the operation indicate that the total cost of the flights would have been around US$400,000, although that does not necessarily mean that amount was paid by Galmarini or Massa.
According to those outlets, the couple traveled with a group of friends that included Andrés Ceriani and Analía Martín, Daniel Guerra and Andrea Mirón, as well as Andrea González Iturbe. The itinerary included stopovers in Montevideo and Asunción, both on the outbound and return legs.
Galmarini herself said the decision was made just two days before departure and admitted the situation may raise questions. According to La Nación, people in Massa’s circle said it was a personal invitation from Francisco De Narváez for the couple’s 30th wedding anniversary.
The case also led to a complaint filed in August by national deputy Lilia Lemoine before UFI No. 2 in La Plata. The filing seeks to determine who hired and paid for the aircraft, what the economic benefit involved was and whether there was any consideration or a possible link to Galmarini’s public office.
Perfil added that the complaint requested measures to reconstruct the trip with information from the National Civil Aviation Administration and migration authorities. After Galmarini’s statements, Lemoine again questioned her on social media and argued that it should also be investigated whether there was any violation of public ethics rules.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this fact.
