17/06/2026 03:17 - Actualidad
Sala de audiencia judicial moderna con jueces en estrado, fiscales y defensores en sus posiciones, ambiente de tribunal federal con iluminación profesional, atmósfera de juicio oral de alto impacto
The first hearing in the trial for the disappearance of Loan Danilo Peña began on June 16, 2026 at the National Gendarmerie Squadron 48 in Corrientes, a province in northeastern Argentina. The proceeding featured a heavy security operation and multiple unexpected situations that kept everyone present on edge.
The oral and public debate pits prosecutors against 17 defendants for varying degrees of participation in the child's disappearance, which occurred on June 13, 2024, in Algarrobal, a rural locality in Corrientes province. The prosecution maintains that Loan was taken from the location and hidden in a Ford Ranger pickup truck belonging to Carlos Pérez and María Victoria Caillava.
The most controversial moment of the day involved Esteban Federico Rossi Colombo, a psychologist from Tucumán (a province in northwestern Argentina) accused of co-authorship of unlawful deprivation of liberty, aggravated fraud, and cover-up. The defendant, who is currently free while awaiting trial, did not appear at the start of the hearing.
Given his absence, the Federal Oral Tribunal—comprising judges Fermín Ceroleni, Simón Pedro Bracco, and Eduardo Belforte—ordered his declaration of rebellion and immediate arrest. The resolution included removing him from the proceedings, which would require holding a separate trial later.
However, hours later and after the news had already circulated in the media, Rossi Colombo appeared connected via videoconference dressed in a dark suit, accompanied by Córdoba-based attorney Segundo Delgado, who introduced himself as his new defense counsel.
Rossi Colombo claimed he lacked the funds to pay his previous lawyer or travel to Corrientes, which is why he appointed Delgado as his new counsel. The lawyer requested 72 hours to familiarize himself with the case.
The magistrates decided to allow Rossi Colombo to participate in the trial, arguing that the prosecution's accusation against him had not yet been read. They also authorized him to follow the hearings from a Gendarmerie facility in Tucumán.
Prosecutor Carlos Schaefer harshly questioned the Tribunal's decision and demanded that the initial resolution be upheld: Rossi Colombo excluded from the trial with the arrest order still in effect. The judge denied him the floor and dismissed his warnings.
Disagreements also surfaced regarding the trial's organization. Ceroleni recalled that hearings were originally scheduled for October, while Schaefer responded that there was an evident social interest in beginning the debate as soon as possible.
Finally, the Public Defense Ministry provisionally appointed Mirta Pellegrini as Rossi Colombo's public defender. Starting Wednesday, Juliana Machado will take over.
Seven defendants accused of abduction and concealment: María Victoria Caillava, Carlos Pérez, Laudelina Peña, Antonio Benítez, Mónica Millapi, Daniel Ramírez, and Walter Maciel.
Ten defendants accused of obstructing the investigation: Among them is Rossi Colombo, who according to prosecutors intervened to divert the investigation through a group claiming to belong to the Dupuy Foundation, a nonprofit organization.
The trial has 186 witnesses scheduled and is expected to last more than four months.
Loan Danilo Peña disappeared on June 13, 2024, at 13:52 in the town of Algarrobal, Corrientes. He was 6 years old at the time of his disappearance. The prosecution's main hypothesis indicates he was taken from the location and hidden in the Ford Ranger pickup owned by Pérez and Caillava.
The trial resumes on Wednesday, June 18 at the National Gendarmerie Squadron 48, with strict security controls on both the external perimeter and entrances to the facility.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
