Million-dollar agreement in Córdoba: payment made to avoid trial for labor exploitation

Three individuals charged with exploitation reached a judicial agreement that will allow them to avoid a public trial in exchange for significant financial compensation. The proposal was accepted by the victims and validated by the Federal Oral Court No. 2 of Córdoba. The agreed sum amounts to 15 million pesos (33,069 pounds), which must be distributed among the four affected workers.

The individuals involved were identified as responsible for subjecting rural employees to exhausting workdays without access to minimum standards of dignity. The investigation confirmed that the workers performed up to 16 hours of labor per day without sufficient rest. In addition, the initial promises of higher income and better amenities turned out to be completely false.

The financial offer was presented as comprehensive compensation for the harm caused and was accepted by the intervening prosecutor's office. Judge Carolina Prado endorsed the agreement and established the conditions for the compensation to be carried out. Once fulfilled, the three defendants will be acquitted in the case.

Extreme conditions in rural fields

The victims had been brought from Tucumán with the expectation of obtaining higher income and better benefits. However, the situation they encountered was one of abandonment and absolute precariousness.They were housed under a shed without walls and with a dirt floor where they even slept on ruined mattresses.

The place lacked bathrooms, drinking water, and electricity, which resulted in a state of permanent unsanitary conditions. The lack of basic infrastructure was accompanied by irregular and insufficient food. Sometimes they went entire days with little more than potatoes as the only available food.

The account collected by investigators included the total lack of safety measures and protective equipment. They also had no access to medical care or communication. "He was the one who hired people to go to work; he was very wealthy," they stated about one of the accused.

Financial compensation and judicial closure

The defendants' proposal was considered a valid way to avoid the exposure of a lengthy trial. The agreement was based on the acknowledgment of the harm and the willingness to compensate the victims with a specific sum. The prosecutors and the public defender supported the decision to accept the offer.

Of the total 15,020,834 pesos (33,110 pounds) agreed upon, Zabala committed to pay more than 13 million (28,650 pounds). Espinoza and Ávila will jointly cover the remaining 2 million (4,409 pounds). The distribution of the funds will be carried out among the four people exploited during that period.

Once the obligations are fulfilled, the court will dismiss the criminal charges. The ruling marked a negotiated resolution in the face of acts of exploitation that otherwise would have gone to trial. With this arrangement, the aim was to provide concrete compensation and a definitive conclusion to the case.