'You've been beating me for three days': Images released from the lawsuit filed by former Argentine First Lady Fabiola Yañez against former President Alberto Fernández

The scandal over the accusations of domestic violence against former Argentine President Alberto Fernández continues to gain steam. Infobae accessed chats and photographs from the lawsuit brought by former First Lady Fabiola Yañez against the politician.

In the two images released, bruises can be seen on Yañez's arm and face. The photos were allegedly sent to Fernández via WhatsApp, accompanied by a message: "This doesn't work like this all the time you hit me. It's unusual. I can't let you do this to me when I didn't do anything to you. And all I try to do with a focused mind is defend you and you physically hit me. There is no explanation."

"But stop arguing," you can read the then-president's retort: "In the end we end up fighting each other over everyone else. Please. Come here." She replies: "You hit me again. You're crazy." He messages back: "I feel bad."

In another excerpt, the then-first lady says, "You've been beating me for three days in a row." He reacts by telling her, "Please stop, I feel very bad."

The images and texts are part of a complaint filed on Tuesday after Judge Julian Ercolini found evidence of the abuse while reviewing evidence from another case against the former president for influence peddling. At first, Yañez refused to bring legal action against Fernández, from whom she is separated. However, this week, she called the court and accused Fernandez of "physical violence" and "psychological terrorism," among other things.

Repudiation of Alberto Fernández

"Kirchnerism has been an infinite shame," wrote presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni. "Gentlemen: never again," he said in another post in X, which was joined by critics from across the political community.

Buenos Aires City Legislator Ramiro Marra also took shots at the former president, "Alberto Fernández, you are s**t." Provincial Deputy Agustín Romo, sharing the images of Yañez's bruises, pointed out that "the one who did this was the creator of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity."

Other politicians, journalists and media personalities extended the criticism to the president's entourage.  Social-democratic party GEN Deputy Margarita Stolbizer wondered when former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who appointed Alberto Fernández as candidate, would come out to apologize. Deputy Carolina Piparo assured that the former president had enjoyed "a filthy impunity during his entire term, being impossible that nobody knew what he was doing."

Renowned journalist Eduardo Feinmann took a similar line of questioning, wondering when the Argentine leftist feminist movement would be heard from, identified with green scarves as a result of the abortion debate.

Cristina Fernandez against her former government partner

"Alberto Fernandez was not a good president," wrote former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner hours after the new controversy was unleashed in response to the images.

The frictions between Kirchner and her running mate are not new. In fact, they became more intense during the last years of Fernández’s presidency, who came to power with the support of the Peronist leader and had previously been a member of Cristina Fernández's cabinet.

After criticizing the media for publishing the photographs - "a true re-victimization of the plaintiff" - Kirchner said that the contents of the lawsuit not only showed a "beating," but also revealed "the most sordid and darkest aspects of the human condition."

In words later criticized for sounding like victimization, the Peronist stated that she had been and continues to be the object of "the worst verbal and political violence, up to the extreme of physical violence, as was the assassination attempt on September 1, 2022."

Fernández de Kirchner's statements come after other similar responses by like-minded politicians and activists. The governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, for example, said he was shocked and that he wanted authorities to quickly resolve the complaint, which "is extremely serious."

The most categorical statements were made by the Kirchnerist leader Luis D'Elía, who wrote that the former president should write a letter asking for forgiveness and then, if he "has a little dignity", "shoot himself in the head". Although he denied being his friend, he acknowledged an intimate conversation after the news became known and published private messages sent to him by Fernández:

The former president defends himself

Fernández denied the accusations. "I am only going to say that it is false," he maintained in a statement on social media. "What is now being imputed to me never happened." The former president also assured that he would provide evidence in court "that will show what really happened."

At this time, the former president is in Buenos Aires, under a court order that prevents him from leaving the country. He is also forbidden to go within 500 meters (1640 feet) of his ex-wife's home, which is located in Madrid, Spain.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Alberto Fernández's former president and vice president (2019-2023), has not issued an opinion or judgment.

'Tell me something nice'

Along with the controversial images from the court case, a video of Fernández flirting in the presidential office with actress Tamara Pettinato was also released Thursday. Although the exact date of the video is unknown, it came during the time he was in office and married to Yañez.

According to the local newspaper Clarín, Pettinato does not appear in the records of the Casa Rosada, but she does appear in those of a presidential residence known as the Quinta de Olivos. The visit allegedly breaks the rules established by the government under Fernández.

That visit is one of many in the judicial case, such as those of the ex-model Sofía Pacchi, who entered 60 times, or those that also include the controversial celebration of Fabiola Yañez's birthday during the pandemic lockdown.