Sergio Schoklender Convicted in Sueños Compartidos Housing Fraud Case

Sergio Schoklender has been sentenced to approximately two years and eight months of suspended prison for the diversion of public funds from the Sueños Compartidos social housing program. The court also convicted his brother, Pablo Schoklender, and former officials José López and Abel Fatala to similar terms, while former Planning Minister Julio De Vido was acquitted. The case centered on the diversion of over 206 million pesos from a total of nearly 748.7 million pesos provided by the national state to the Madres de Plaza de Mayo Foundation between 2008 and 2011. The prosecution described a criminal plan where funds were diverted to companies linked to the program's representatives.

Following the verdict, Sergio Schoklender denied committing any crime and characterized the sentence as a symbolic gesture by a degraded judicial system. He claimed that all committed works were completed during his tenure and that no overpricing occurred. Schoklender further alleged that Hebe de Bonafini, head of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, diverted foundation funds to support political campaigns for Cristina Kirchner and other allies. He also accused former officials Amado Boudou, Julio De Vido, and José López of dismantling the foundation by transferring project management to the Movimiento Evita.

Schoklender challenged the integrity of the trial, claiming that the judge pressured a court expert to present adulterated documentation. He specifically alleged that the prosecutor used artificial intelligence to draft an accusation based on falsified evidence. The legal process began in 2011 and reached a verdict after fifteen years, leading the defense to argue that the case should have been dismissed due to the statute of limitations.