Argentina bombing investigation crisis deepens

by @benpiven February 11, 2015 5:00PM ET

Tracing key events from the bomb blast that killed 85 people in 1994 to the mysterious death of prosecutor Nisman

Topics:
Argentina
International
Iran

Argentina has plunged into a political crisis in recent weeks in the aftermath of the suspicious death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was due to present findings from a decadelong investigation into the 1994 blast at a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in which 85 people died.

Nisman had accused Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of having signed a secret deal with Tehran involving the purchase of Iranian oil and nonprosecution of several Iranians alleged to have directed the bombing through Hezbollah operatives. 

For years, Nisman attempted to extradite the suspects to Argentina, but Fernández insisted a joint truth commission was sufficient for bringing closure to the country’s worst bomb attack.

Conspirary theories abound, from allegations about potential Nazi involvement to nefarious links with Israeli spy agency Mossad. In addition, mystery surrounds testimony by Argentina’s former spy chief Antonio Stiusso; comments made by Diego Lagomarsino, Nisman’s aide who lent him the pistol that apparently killed him; and the departure to Israel of Damián Pachter, the first journalist to report on Nisman’s death.

In addition to the controversy surrounding Nisman’s fate, Fernández has been contending with an energy shortage, rapid inflation, foreign indebtedness and corruption allegations.