23/06/2026 10:23 - Judiciales
The Federal Oral Tribunal of Comodoro Rivadavia (a court in Argentina's Patagonian oil hub) resumed hearings on Monday, June 22, 2026 for one of the most painful tragedies in recent Argentine history: the sinking of the submarine ARA San Juan on November 15, 2017, which resulted in the deaths of 44 crew members.
Federal prosecutors Gastón Franco Pruzan, Lucas Colla, Julio Zárate, and María Andrea Garmendia Orueta began their closing arguments before a tribunal composed of judges Mario Reynaldi, Enrique Baronetto, Luis Alberto Giménez, and Guillermo Adolfo Quadrini. The prosecution is seeking prison sentences of up to 5 years for the defendants.
Context: The ARA San Juan was a TR-1700 class diesel-electric submarine built in Germany, commissioned by the Argentine Navy in 1985. The tragedy became the country's worst naval disaster since the 1982 Malvinas/Falklands War.
Four high-ranking officers of the Argentine Navy face charges of negligent homicide (known as "homicidio culposo" in Argentine law, meaning killing without intent but through criminal negligence). According to prosecutors, each held specific responsibilities at the time of the tragedy:
| Defendant | Position at Time of Disaster |
|---|---|
| Luis Enrique López Mazzeo | Commander of Naval Readiness and Training (COAA) |
| Claudio Javier Villamide | Commander of the Submarine Force (COFS) and Operational Control Authority |
| Hugo Correa | Chief of Operations Department and Submarine Communications Center |
| Héctor Aníbal Alonso | Chief of Staff of the Submarine Force Command and Readiness Evaluation Officer |
The ARA San Juan submarine departed from Naval Base Mar del Plata (Argentina's main naval base, about 400 km south of Buenos Aires) on October 25, 2017, bound for Naval Base Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. The vessel sailed in deficient technical-operational conditions.
On November 11, 2017, it departed Ushuaia for an assigned patrol area. Three days later, between November 14 at 22:35 and 23:42, seawater entered battery tank No. 3, causing a short circuit and initial fire.
On November 15, 2017, at 10:51, the submarine suffered loss of depth control and imploded when exceeding its collapse depth. The wreckage was located on November 17, 2018 at 907 meters depth in the South Atlantic.
Prosecutor Zárate presented detailed evidence of repairs never performed. Key points from the prosecution:
Prosecutor Gastón Franco Pruzan opened arguments explaining the trial's dynamics. He detailed that López Mazzeo assumed command of Naval Readiness in February 2017 and issued Operations Order COFLOMAR N°14/17 'C' on October 19, 2017, ordering the submarine's final mission.
Prosecutor Julio Zárate presented a visual chronology of repairs never made to the submarine, displaying slides with specific dates and years.
Subsequently, prosecutor Lucas Colla detailed each defendant's functions within the Navy's hierarchy structure, explaining the chain of command and highlighting witness and expert testimonies.
The YouTube live stream suffered a brief technical interruption that momentarily delayed the proceedings.
The ARA San Juan became an underwater tomb for 44 Argentine sailors. This trial seeks to determine the responsibilities of the commanders who allowed a submarine with known technical deficiencies to sail toward tragedy.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
