BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The ex-partner of former Argentine President Alberto Fernández has accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her, according to an Argentine court order issued Tuesday. The allegations shocked the country and threaten to further stain the reputation of the moderate leftist whose government many Argentines blame for deepening an economic crisis.
In the judicial order obtained by The Associated Press, the Buenos Aires federal court opened a criminal investigation into the accusations of “psychological terrorism," phone harassment and physical abuse against Fernández from Fabiola Yáñez, his former partner of at least eight years and the mother of his second child.
The order said Yáñez, who testified by phone from her home in Madrid, has decided to press charges against Fernández for threatening and “psychologically intimidating” her daily and causing her “minor injuries in a context of gender-based violence." The document did not give further details about her accusations of physical violence.
Fernández, a left-leaning Peronist politician who was president of Argentina from 2019 to 2023, vigorously denied her allegations and promised he would prove to the courts “what really happened.”
“It’s false and what I’m now being accused of never happened,” Fernández said in a statement posted Tuesday on the social media platform X, declining to say more to the media, citing his family’s privacy.
In the ruling, Judge Julián Ercolini granted Yáñez a restraining order that prevents the former president from coming within 500 meters (yards) of her and from contacting her.
The judge barred Fernández from traveling outside Argentina, and demanded that he “cease all forms of intimidation or harassment, both directly and indirectly" toward Yáñez. The ruling also asked Argentine authorities to provide Yáñez with police protection.
The court order comes weeks after Yáñez's accusations first surfaced among thousands of leaked text messages under scrutiny by federal investigators in a separate embezzlement case against Fernández. That case accuses Fernández of irregularities in awarding state insurance contracts — allegations he also denies.
In leaked texts exchanged with Fernández's former private secretary, María Cantero, Yáñez recounted episodes of abuse and harassment that occurred when she was pregnant with her now 2-year-old son, Francisco.
The court document seen by AP said Ercolini contacted her about the revelations in June, but Yáñez “did not wish to pursue criminal proceedings." But she changed her mind and on Tuesday contacted the Buenos Aires court to press charges against the former president. Her lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
Under the Peronist administration of Fernández and his vice president, the powerful populist former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina descended into its worst economic crisis in two decades with surging inflation and deepening poverty.
Fernández, a former law professor, chose not to run in Argentina's 2023 election. Public outrage over the country's tumbling fortunes helped propel the radical libertarian President Javier Milei to office.
FILE -Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez attends a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko), File)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Julio Rodríguez homered twice to drive in five runs, George Kirby went six innings for his 13th victory and the AL wild card-chasing Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 8-2 on Friday night.
Rodríguez put the Mariners (79-75) ahead to stay with his three-run homer in the fifth off Jack Leiter, who relieved Jacob deGrom after the two-time Cy Young Award winner made his first home start in nearly 17 months after elbow surgery.
Seattle remained two games behind Minnesota for the third and final wild card after the Twins beat Boston 4-2 in 12 innings. The Mariners stayed five back of Houston in the AL West with eight games remaining, three in Houston.
“We’re still in it. Everyone’s confident. Just got to to keep playing good baseball," Kirby said.
“It feels great. Obviously we have a shot to get into the playoffs,” Rodríguez said. “But I feel like everybody knows that and understands that at the same time we've got to take it one day at a time. ... We've got to focus on that right now.”
Rodríguez tied a career high for RBIs with his first multihomer game this season. His first homer put Seattle up 4-2, and he went deep off the rookie right-hander again in the seventh with a two-run shot the opposite way to right field for his 18th of the year.
Kirby (13-11) beat the reigning World Series champions again, five days after facing the minimum 21 batters over seven scoreless innings at home against them. The 26-year-old right-hander is 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA in nine career starts against Texas. He struck out four without a walk this time while allowing two runs on five hits.
“George jumped picked up right where he left off against Texas back at home,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said.
Nathaniel Lowe had a two-run single for the Rangers (73-81), who have already been eliminated from the AL West race and are on the verge of being officially knocked out of wild-card contention and guaranteed a losing record.
Lowe's hit ended Kirby's streak of 34 consecutive scoreless innings against Texas in a span of seven starts since Sept. 28, 2022.
DeGrom struck out five over three innings, and the only run he allowed was when No. 9 batter Josh Rojas led off the third with a homer. Rojas later added a sacrifice fly.
Leiter (0-3) allowed seven runs (six earned) over five innings. He struck out five and walked two while throwing 57 of 92 pitches for strikes.
A week after throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his season debut on the road, also against the Mariners, deGrom threw 37 of 58 pitches for strikes and had one walk. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had said the 36-year-old right-hander would throw about 60 pitches.
“Definitely felt better than my first one. I think maybe a little bit less nerves, worked on some things in between,” said deGrom, who will get one more start this season. "It’s little things that I've got to continue to work on, but my arm felt good and that was the most important thing.”
It was the first start at home for deGrom since he left in the middle of the fourth inning against the New York Yankees on April 28, 2023. That was the sixth and last start in the first season of his $185 million, five-year contract.
UP NEXT
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (2-4, 3.95 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the IL after missing 40 games with right shoulder fatigue and an arm nerve issue. Rookie right-hander Emerson Hancock (3-4, 4.83) starts for Seattle.
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Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe (30) hits a two-run single in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez celebrates in the dugout after a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners Josh Rojas (4) celebrates in the dugout after a solo home run against the Texas Rangers in the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) and catcher Jonah Heim (28) walk back to the dugout in the first inning in a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez reacts toward the dugout as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
