Argentine navy top brass may face sack over missing submarine
ARGENTINA’S navy faces multiple investigations over the disappearance of the submarine ARA San Juan and the possible dismissal of its entire top brass, amid a growing controversy over the accident and search efforts.
A day after the navy confirmed an apparent explosion close to the submarine’s last known position, the internal war that has been raging between the force and the government in Buenos Aires spilled out across Argentine media. Oscar Aguad, the defence minister incensed by a succession of alleged failings by the force, is reported to have opened more than 40 inquiries to determine responsibility.
Any dismissals would be unlikely to happen until the sub is found. The newspaper Clarin cited “high level” officials as saying that President Mauricio Macri wanted all efforts to remain focused on the search, though changes were “surely” ahead.
Yesterday, amid the growing furore, Mr Macri cautioned against “taking risks in assigning blame”. “This is going to take a serious, deep investigation that yields certainties about why what we are seeing happened,” he told a news conference. Despite a fleet of US underwater vehicles scouring the area of the explosion, Captain Enrique Balbi, the navy spokesman, said yesterday that they still had no trace of the ARA San Juan.
There was some confusion over the scale of the explosion, as the head of the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation – one of the sources of Thursday’s report – suggested it could have been “very small” and may not have destroyed the San Juan. However, Captain Balbi said the report Argentina had received “did not say a small explosion”.
Families of the 44 crew members of the submarine yesterday gave up hope and went home after a days-long wait at the Mar del Plata naval base. Jésica Gopar, wife of Fernando Santilli, who was aboard the sub, told local reporters: “My husband missed my son’s first birthday.”
Amid angry complaints from families that navy officials had “lied” to them and withheld information, Captain Balbi acknowledged that mistakes may have been made. “We are not infallible,” he said. “If there were errors, the navy will not hesitate to say sorry.”
He defended the force against claims of delays in the operation, insisting protocol had been followed in waiting two days to begin a physical search. He also insisted the submarine had been in good condition.
Relations have raised doubts about the seaworthiness of the ARA San Juan, built in 1985. On Thursday, Itati Leguizmon, wife of Germán Oscar Suárez, its radar operator, said that the submarine had suffered a “serious fault” in 2014, the year that its mid-life renovation was completed. Ms Leguizmon claimed an incident had occurred in which the submarine found itself unable to surface: the situation was so grave that the crew “said goodbye to each other”.