Prosecutions of UNC teachers in Córdoba: possible cover-up networks

The Federal Chamber prosecuted Oscar Benítez and Arturo Pagliari for using forged documents in a faculty selection process. The ruling overturned a previous dismissal issued by Federal Judge No. 1 of Córdoba. The use of fourteen forged certificates at the Faculty of Law of UNC is under investigation.

The certificates were allegedly signed by Pagliari to benefit Benítez in his academic career. The case was brought forward by attorney Eduardo Pintore, who acted as a private prosecutor. The scheme dates back to 2017 and was exposed after years of deliberate omissions.

Each forged certificate was considered a separate offense

The judiciary analyzed each document individually and considered them autonomous acts with their own criminal significance. These were certificates that attributed false teaching positions, presentations, and academic activities. This aggravates the legal situation of the accused, opening the possibility of pretrial detention.

The case was dismissed at first instance, but the Federal Chamber accepted prosecutor Senestrari's appeal. Pintore's appeal was also considered, as he had reported irregularities since 2020. The ruling contradicted Judge Sánchez Freytes's position and opened new lines of investigation.

The complaint targeted the internal power that dominates the Faculty of Law

Benítez and Pagliari were part of the yanzismo, a political group that has governed the Faculty for 28 years. Pintore stated that both were officials of the group led by Pedro Yanzi Ferreira. Yanzismo is also part of the coalition currently leading the National University of Córdoba.

Pagliari served as a faculty councilor and Benítez as coordinator of the Public Law Department. Both were promoted to higher positions despite being under criminal suspicion. The power structure allegedly operated to prevent sanctions and ensure their internal promotions.

The Board of Directors and the Superior Council ignored the evidence presented

Pintore reported the irregularities in the selection process to both bodies, but his complaint was dismissed. Despite having documentary evidence, the university did not act in the face of the possible crime. He was even denied the possibility of initiating academic proceedings against the accused.

The request has been stalled since 2021 due to delaying tactics in the UNC's Directorate of Inquiries. The file was transferred without resolution for more than four years and remains unsolved. Pintore warned that the appointed academic prosecutor had already ruled that the act did not exist.

Promotions for the accused and obstruction for the whistleblowers

Meanwhile, as the criminal process progressed, Benítez defended his doctoral thesis before a committee aligned with yanzismo. Days later, he was promoted to Associate Professor in Public International Law. In contrast, Pintore's application for a similar position was delayed for six months.

According to the complainant, this reveals a structure that rewards political obedience and penalizes whistleblowing. He also pointed out that Benítez's doctoral thesis was not published despite his promotion. The same happened with Diego García Montaño, another yanzista official with a related background.

The scandal reveals a deep institutional crisis at UNC

Pintore reported that the cover-up was systematic and widespread within the university's governing bodies. The Federal Chamber ordered an investigation into new facts omitted in the initial inquiry. One of them refers to a "Coordinator of Teaching Assistants" certificate with serious evidentiary elements.

The case involves not only the material authors, but also those who knowingly failed to act. Pintore argued that pressure groups prevented internal oversight and blocked any sanctions. The court ruling breaks years of impunity within the university structure.

The judiciary upheld the right to report and acquitted the complainant

Benítez sued Pintore in provincial court for slander after the public report of the case. However, the 7th Criminal Chamber of Córdoba acquitted the attorney who filed the complaint. The ruling is considered a milestone for freedom of expression and citizen oversight of public power.

Pintore expressed gratitude for the legal support and criticized the complicity of sectors that, while calling themselves opposition, supported the ruling party. He recalled that the struggle was carried out almost alone and at great personal cost. He pointed out that many internal actors remained silent or joined single lists with the ruling party.

The fall of yanzismo in the elections marked a turning point

In May 2025, yanzismo lost control of the Faculty for the first time after nearly three decades. Pintore attributes this result to the wear and tear caused by cases of institutional corruption. He believes that the university community began to react to the decline of its authorities.

The attorney requested that this ruling mark the beginning of a structural change in university management. He insisted that faculty and students must abandon submission and confront arbitrariness. "Law is not a physical law; it needs citizens to enforce it every day," he concluded.