The president of the Quilmes Justicialist Party councilors' bloc, Eva Mieri, was detained on Tuesday by court order, accused of having participated in the attack on the home of national deputy José Luis Espert. The measure was ordered by federal judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado after a series of raids in Quilmes, both at private residences and at the municipal building.
In addition to Mieri, three other people were arrested, although their identities have not yet been disclosed. The case, which remains under a gag order, is linked to the offensive banner and the throwing of manure in front of the libertarian legislator's house last week.
What is being investigated in the case and why the focus is on Quilmes
According to preliminary data, five hooded individuals arrived in a van at Espert's residence, where they placed a sign with the phrase "here is Espert's sh..." and threw excrement at the entrance.
The S-10 Chevrolet van allegedly used was later located in Quilmes, which led the investigation to focus on that Buenos Aires district. The first person detained was Alesia Abaigar, an employee of the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity of Buenos Aires Province, who has been held at Ezeiza prison since June 27.
Mayra Mendoza's reaction: "Completely illegal"
The ultra-Kirchnerist mayor of Quilmes, Mayra Mendoza, strongly criticized the operation and denounced a "political persecution." In a message on her X account, she stated: "During the early hours of this morning, several private residences were raided, and the Quilmes municipality as well. Eva Mieri has been held incommunicado for more than three hours. Completely illegal and undemocratic."
Mendoza also directly targeted the assaulted deputy: "ESPERT: Leave the girls alone, you're a real coward. If you're so tough, if you can really handle it, see you at the polls!"
Profile of Eva Mieri and her political circle
Eva Mieri was Undersecretary of Environment in Quilmes before becoming a councilor for the Frente de Todos. She is considered part of the political circle closest to Mayra Mendoza. On her social media, she had publicly called for the release of Alesia Abaigar, whom she described as a "political prisoner of Milei, Bullrich, and Arroyo Salgado."
In a lengthy Instagram post, Mieri had pointed out that Abaigar was detained "for the alleged crime of putting up a banner and throwing dung," while questioning the actions of the judiciary and reproducing violent statements attributed to Espert himself on other occasions.
