‘My commitment is with the truth’: Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri promises answers over missing submarine as backlash against navy builds
The centre-right leader was speaking as the search for the San Juan shifted from rescue to recovery, after navy officials lost hope of finding any of the crew alive
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri on Friday ordered an inquiry to “know the truth” about what happened to Argentina’s missing submarine, the San Juan, which disappeared with the loss of its 44 crew.
The 34-year-old submarine had gone through a refit and was “in perfect condition,” Macri told reporters at the Argentine navy headquarters.
“My commitment is with the truth,” he said, adding the tragedy “will require a serious, in-depth investigation that will yield certainty about what has happened.”
Argentina’s navy has been fiercely criticised for the way its handling of the operation since first reporting the submarine overdue at its Mar del Plata base on November 16.
The navy took several days to say that the San Juan had reported a problem with its batteries in its final communication on November 15.
My commitment is with the truth ... [it] will require a serious, in-depth investigation that will yield certainty about what has happened
Only on Thursday did the navy confirm there had been an explosion on board, which experts said was likely linked to the battery problem.