A Historic Ruling Against Corruption
Argentina's Supreme Court of Justice has definitively confirmed the 8-year prison sentence against Sergio Urribarri, former governor of Entre Ríos province (2007-2015) and former ambassador to Israel, for a corruption scheme that diverted public funds intended for official advertising. The ruling, signed by justices Horacio Rosatti, Carlos Rosenkrantz, and Ricardo Lorenzetti, declared inadmissible the extraordinary appeals filed by the defense, thereby consolidating the sentences of all those convicted in the case.
The decision is based on Article 280 of the National Civil and Commercial Procedural Code, which allows the court to dismiss appeals when no sufficient federal question is identified. With this resolution, the sentence is now final, and the prosecution has already requested the immediate arrest of Urribarri and the other two convicts sentenced to effective prison time.
The Confirmed Sentences
The Trial and Appeals Court of Paraná had issued the initial sentence on April 7, 2022, which was later upheld by the Entre Ríos Cassation Court in 2023 and by the provincial Superior Court. Now, the Supreme Court has put an end to the judicial debate. The sentences are as follows:
| Convicted | Sentence | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sergio Urribarri | 8 years in prison and permanent disqualification | Author of incompatible negotiations and embezzlement |
| Pedro Ángel Báez (former Minister of Culture and Communication) | 6 years and 6 months in prison and disqualification | Primary participant |
| Juan Pablo Aguilera (Urribarri's brother-in-law) | 6 years and 6 months in prison and disqualification | Primary participant |
| Corina Elizabeth Cargnel, Gustavo Roberto Tamay, and Gerardo Daniel Caruso | 3 years in prison (suspended) and disqualification | Necessary participants |
| Luciana María Belén Almada and Emiliano Osvaldo Giacopuzzi | 2 years and 6 months in prison (suspended) and disqualification | Secondary participants |
Additionally, the sentence includes the confiscation of assets linked to the scheme and the possibility for the provincial state to claim restitution of the funds.
The Corruption Scheme
The investigation revealed a network of rigged contracts directed toward companies linked to Juan Pablo Aguilera, some registered under third parties' names, and fictitious hirings with false records simulating the provision of services. Between January 2010 and September 2015, 143 operations were carried out, causing an economic loss of $12,170,338.96 to the province, according to the prosecution, which estimated the damage at around 9 million US dollars.
Among the investigated events are the hiring of advertising through the company Global Means (before its formal existence), the management of outdoor advertising contracts by Tep SRL and Next SRL, a paid announcement linked to the “Sueño Entrerriano” (Entre Ríos Dream) program, the installation of a beach resort in Mar del Plata in 2015, and the payment of spots related to the Mercosur Summit in Paraná (2014).
Background and Other Cases
Urribarri had already been detained for 50 days starting in November 2024, but his release was ordered in January 2025. Now, with the final sentence, he must return to prison. The former governor also faces other investigations for alleged illicit enrichment and illegal hiring, at different procedural stages.
The Supreme Court's decision marks a milestone in the fight against corruption in Argentina and sends a clear message: justice does not stop. The citizens of Entre Ríos and the entire country hope that this ruling will help strengthen trust in institutions.