Pablo Moyano, the Deputy Secretary of the Truck Drivers Union, has been accused of extortion amid a conflict regarding crane contracts in Buenos Aires and waste collection in the city. The complaint was filed by Facundo Del Gaiso, a legislator from the Civic Coalition, who claims that the union leader has engaged in extortionate practices.
Del Gaiso notes that the situation is worsening due to irregularities found in the waste collection contracts, which were canceled by the city’s government head, Jorge Macri. He also pointed out the supposed influence of the Moyano family over the companies Ashira and Transporte 9 de Julio.
In a social media post, Del Gaiso stated, “My criminal complaint for extortion against the Moyano clan has reached Federal Court No. 5, headed by María Eugenia Capuchetti. The streets of the city remain littered because of their blackmail. This will end, as we refuse to live under the mafia-like laws of ‘Moyanoland’.”
The legislator’s allegations coincide with escalating tensions that left many Buenos Aires streets filled with garbage. Del Gaiso remarked, “We woke up to find that waste collection had decreased by 30%. Until last Friday, there were no issues, but the crane contract was dropped.”
The conflict intensified following the decision to nationalize the crane service in response to legislative findings revealing long-standing irregularities. Del Gaiso argues that the pre-award of contracts to certain companies was intended to benefit interests linked to the Truck Drivers Union.
In his complaint, he contends that the union’s strikes, including threats to halt waste collection, aim to pressure the city government into awarding contracts that favor companies associated with the Moyano clan. Del Gaiso criticized, “There were no problems until Friday, but after they learned the contract was going to be rejected, Moyano’s interests were threatened, which is why there are ongoing issues with the trucks and working conditions.”
He emphasized the necessity of investigating potential administrative irregularities related to contract awards during the recent government transition in Buenos Aires. In court documents, Del Gaiso argued that using union strikes, while the government has not formally been accused of any wrongdoing, seems primarily intended for intimidation and extortion.
He added that the threats to disrupt waste collection services put both safety and health at risk for those living and working in the city. For Del Gaiso, the primary goal of these actions seems to be to secure the signature of the government head, Jorge Macri, for lucrative contracts favoring Ashira S.A. and Transportes 9 de Julio S.A., both of which are closely linked to the Truck Drivers Union.
Ultimately, while he supports Macri’s choice to cancel the previous contract, he asserted that there are still irregularities that need to be investigated. He pointed out that despite the website showing everything in order, the pre-award occurred just a day before the previous administration left, with meetings taking place when Macri’s new administration began.
After protests led to garbage piling up in Buenos Aires, the city government affirmed its decision to cancel the pre-awards for crane services and take control of that service. Macri explained that this decision was driven by the “high cost” projected for the contracts, estimated to reach $360 million over the next decade. He also mentioned that the original contracts required an upfront payment of $8 million to the companies, while the city had to cover operational costs even when services weren’t utilized.
Macri concluded, “This service will now be managed directly by the City, at a cost that is less than half of what was anticipated in the previous bidding process.”
Source: https://www.perfil.com/noticias/politica/conflicto-por-la-basura-en-caba-denunciaron-penalmente-a-pablo-moyano-por-extorsion.phtml
