Time Line - The Ducler Case
A step-by-step reconstruction of the events linking Aldo Ducler’s suspicious death, the YPF fraud, Burford Capital’s $16 billion lawsuit, and the persecution of his son, Juan Manuel Ducler
Embedded Files
Time Line - The Ducler Case traces a 30-year chain of corruption and cover-up: the disappearance of over $1.2 billion from the Santa Cruz funds, the fraudulent Eskenazi acquisition of YPF financed with public money and YPF’s own dividends, and the 2012 expropriation that triggered Burford Capital’s illegitimate $16 billion lawsuit in New York. In 2016–2017, Aldo Ducler denounced the fraud before Argentina’s courts and the UIF, warning of the coming lawsuit and requesting protection as a whistleblower — only to die suddenly on June 1, 2017, after a series of ambulance irregularities, falsified records, and destroyed forensic evidence. His son, Juan Manuel Ducler, was then persecuted with false charges and media attacks to silence the case, while the fraud advanced in U.S. courts. Today, with all charges dismissed, the case has gone global before the DOJ, SDNY, IACHR, OHCHR, ICC, SEC, and FBI, demanding truth, accountability, and international justice
📅 1993–2010: The Santa Cruz Funds Fraud
📅 1993–2010: The Santa Cruz Funds Fraud
💰 Fund Evolution
1993: $ 535 million
1998: $ 1.2 billion
1999: $ 1 billion
2004: $ 730 million
2008: $ 730 million
October 2010: Death of Néstor Kirchner
December 2010: Balance $ 0
🏦 Fund Managers
1993–2002: Grupo Mercado Abierto (Aldo Ducler, Iribarne, Scasserra) → Accounts at Dean Witter (U.S.) and Morgan Stanley (Luxembourg)
2000–2003: Alfredo MacLaughlin → Accounts at UBS (Switzerland)
2003–2010: Banco de Santa Cruz (Eskenazi family) → Accounts at Credit Suisse (Switzerland)
🕵️ Controllers Appointed by Kirchner
Eduardo Cafaro
Francisco “Paco” Larcher → Later became operational head of Argentine intelligence (SIDE) for 11 years.
⚖️ 2008–2011: The YPF Presidential Fraud
⚖️ 2008–2011: The YPF Presidential Fraud
📉 Overview
The Eskenazi Group (Petersen) acquired 25.46% of YPF from Repsol
No capital of their own was contributed — the entire purchase was financed through YPF’s own profits, state support, and diverted public funds
Total cost: $ 3.641 billion
💰 Breakdown of Financing
Repsol (the seller itself): Financed $ 1.619 billion
Suspiciously, Repsol had already withdrawn over $ 5 billion in dividends between 2008 and 2011
Credit Suisse: Provided $ 953 million in loans
A back-to-back operation using $ 730 million from the Santa Cruz funds.
Other international banks: Lent $ 844 million
YPF itself: Advanced over $ 200 million in dividends to finance its own sale
Eskenazi Group: Contributed only $ 25 million — just 0.69% of the total
🚨 The acquisition of 25% of YPF by the Eskenazi Group was not a legitimate business deal but a political-financial scheme. Out of the $ 3.6 billion required, they contributed only $25 million of their own capital —less than 1%—, something impossible in any serious market without state backing and irregular banking support. In a transaction of this magnitude, under normal private equity or leveraged buyout (LBO) standards, they would have been required to contribute between $ 700 and 1,200 million in equity (20–30% of the total). The rest was covered with debt and YPF’s own future dividends, concealing the fact that the real funds came from public money belonging to the province of Santa Cruz, used as a political slush fund by President Néstor Kirchner, with the Eskenazis. For this reason, Burford Capital’s lawsuit in New York has no legitimacy: it rests on an operation null from the start, the true “fruit of the poisoned tree” that explains both Aldo Ducler’s assassination and the subsequent global cover-up
🌍 Global Financing Network Behind the Petersen–YPF Deal
Between 2008 and 2012, the Petersen Group financed the acquisition of YPF shares through a sophisticated web of international loans involving major global banks and private lenders. The first loan in 2008 ($ 1.026 billion plus a $ 1.015 billion Seller Credit from Repsol) was structured in London and Madrid, with leading banks playing key roles:
🇺🇸 Citibank New York
🇬🇧 HSBC Bank plc (London) – Collateral Agent
🇬🇧 Goldman Sachs International Bank (London) – Joint Arranger
🇫🇷 BNP Paribas (Paris/London) – Joint Arranger
🇵🇹 Banco Itaú Europa S.A. – Lisbon Branch – Joint Arranger
🇺🇸 Bank of New York Mellon (NYC) – Collateral Agent / Depositary for ADRs
In 2008, loan of $ 71.5 million came from:
🇨🇭 Chervil Capital Invest (Zurich) – Private Lender
🇨🇭 Credit Suisse Zurich – Custodian of collateral
In 2010, a private refinancing of $ 57.2 million came from:
🇨🇭 G&FS / Chervil Capital Invest (Zurich) – Private Lender
🇨🇭 Credit Suisse Zurich – Custodian of collateral
The second loan in 2011 added $ 700 million (Senior Loan) and $ 625.9 million (Seller Credit Repsol), syndicated across London, New York, Madrid, and Lisbon with:
🇬🇧 Credit Suisse AG, London Branch – Administrative Agent
🇺🇸 BNY Mellon (New York) – Collateral Agent
🇺🇸 Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC – Global Coordinator
🇺🇸 BNP Paribas Securities Corp. (New York) – Joint Arranger
🇬🇧 Standard Bank plc (London) – Joint Arranger
🇪🇸 Citibank International plc – Madrid Branch – Joint Arranger
🇵🇹 Banco Itaú BBA International – Lisbon Branch – Joint Arranger
👉 These deals reveal how the operation was designed across London, New York, Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, and Zurich, while YPF dividends in Buenos Aires were funneled through 🇺🇸 Citibank New York and 🇪🇸 BBVA Madrid, exposing the truly global dimension of the Petersen–YPF financing scheme
🏛️ 2012: Re-nationalization of YPF
🏛️ 2012: Re-nationalization of YPF
📌 The Expropriation
The Argentine government expropriated 51% of YPF
YPF had been publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) since 1993
⚖️ Immediate Legal Impact
The measure stripped Repsol and the Petersen Group of control
It triggered litigation risks in U.S. courts, given YPF’s dual listing in Buenos Aires and New York
It laid the foundation for lawsuits in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), including Burford Capital’s multibillion-dollar claim
💼 Burford’s Lawsuit
Burford Capital acquired Petersen’s litigation rights after Petersen went bankrupt
Argentina’s unilateral expropriation was challenged under U.S. law, SEC filings, and contract breach claims
🚨 Why Burford’s Claim is Illegitimate
The Petersen Group’s 25% acquisition of YPF was fraudulent: financed with Santa Cruz provincial funds, funneled through banks
These illicit funds were formally denounced in 2017 by Aldo and Juan Manuel Ducler before Argentina’s UIF
Under the doctrine of the “fruit of the poisonous tree”, Burford’s lawsuit is fatally tainted and null
📑 2015: Key Chronology of Burford Capital
📑 2015: Key Chronology of Burford Capital
Burford Capital, founded in 2009 and domiciled in Guernsey, is one of the world’s leading litigation finance firms, publicly traded on both the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. It was co-founded by two Americans: Christopher Bogart, formerly a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, later General Counsel and senior executive at Time Warner; and Jonathan Molot, a Georgetown University law professor, former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer, and an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (New York) and later Kellogg Hansen. Molot also served as legal counsel on the Obama-Biden transition team and as Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury at the outset of the Obama administration
They were joined as Chairman by British statesman Sir Peter Middleton, who had been Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury (1983–1991) and later Chairman of Barclays, providing institutional legitimacy and a bridge to the City of London. In 2015, Burford acquired Focus Intelligence Ltd, expanding its capabilities in corporate intelligence, asset tracing, and financial investigations, with ties to strategic sectors such as defense and security
In this way, Burford Capital combines elite U.S. legal and financial networks, British political establishment backing, and advanced intelligence capabilities, positioning itself as a singular and influential player in multibillion-dollar international litigation, arbitration, and asset recovery
📌 Preparation Phase (2014)
08/22/2014 → Prospect Investments LLC is incorporated in Delaware, U.S. (registered agent: Corporate Service Company)
09/03/2014 → Petersen enters liquidation
10/06/2014 → Formal liquidation plan begins
🕵️ Burford & Intelligence Links (2015)
01/13/2015 → Burford Capital acquires Focus Intelligence Consulting Ltd., a British covert-ops agency staffed by former UK special forces
03/02/2015 → Prospect Investments grants legal power of attorney to attorney Salvador Mendieta Grande
03/04/2015 → Prospect (linked to Burford) acquires litigation rights of the Petersen companies
⚖️ The Lawsuit (2015)
04/08/2015 → The lawsuit against Argentina and YPF is officially filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (SDNY)
📑 September 2016: Ducler’s Judicial Filing
📑 September 2016: Ducler’s Judicial Filing
⚖️ Initial Filing
09/23/2016 → Aldo Ducler, represented by Estudio Durrieu, filed a petition before the Federal Courts requesting an investigation into possible crimes related to the Santa Cruz Funds
The case was randomly assigned to Judge Jorge Martínez de Giorgi
📢 Second Filing
10/06/2016 → Ducler submitted a second filing before Federal Court No. 8, Secretariat No. 16
He reported threats and formally offered to cooperate with the Justice system
🚨 Rapid Closure
Instead of pursuing the investigation, the judge referred the case to the Province of Santa Cruz
The case was closed at record speed, ensuring impunity
🗓️ March–May 2017: Ducler’s Approach to the Executive Branch
🗓️ March–May 2017: Ducler’s Approach to the Executive Branch
📜 Legal Framework
11/02/2016 → Law 27.319 enacted (published 11/22), formally establishing the legal status of a Whistleblower in Argentina
👨⚖️ Strategic Move
February 2017 → The Ducler's considered this legal path during a meeting with their attorney
Dr. Durrieu (Jr.) proposed involving Fabián “Pepín” Rodríguez Simón (direct advisor to President Mauricio Macri) and his partner Felipe Llerena
🏛️ Government Meetings
In the following weeks, Ducler’s lawyer met with:
Germán Garavano → Minister of Justice
Eugenio Burzaco → Deputy Minister of Security
Felipe Miguel → Chief of Cabinet of Buenos Aires
📲 WhatsApp Communications
04/21/2017 → Dr. Durrieu (Jr.) to Juan Manuel: “Pepín apparently wants to move forward…”
05/26/2017 → Dr. Durrieu (Jr.) reported that the Government would take 30 days to “analyze” the request for recognition as a Whistleblower
🗓️ April 17, 2017: Ducler’s Meeting in Buenos Aires
🗓️ April 17, 2017: Ducler’s Meeting in Buenos Aires
👔 Participants
Roger E. Zuckerman and Steven Salky → Partners at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, a prominent U.S. law firm
Donald J. Planty → Former U.S. Ambassador
Aldo and Juan Manuel Ducler → Attended as clients
Osvaldo Laborda → Former police officer, explosives expert in the 1992 Israeli Embassy bombing case; organized the meeting
🏨 Location
Private session at the Alvear Hotel, Buenos Aires
Conducted in a closed room, with no public records
⚖️ Declared Purpose
Officially presented as a legal consultation for the Ducler family
🚨 Underlying Interpretation
The context suggests it was in fact a risk assessment operation
Planty and Zuckerman allegedly provided diplomatic and legal cover, signaling the involvement of U.S. intelligence and diplomatic networks
🗓️ May 30, 2017: Ducler’s UIF Denunciation
🗓️ May 30, 2017: Ducler’s UIF Denunciation
📄 The Report
Aldo Ducler submitted a formal corruption report to Argentina’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF)
He accused Grupo Petersen, Repsol, Burford Capital, and key political operators of defrauding the Argentine State
He explicitly warned of a fraudulent international lawsuit that would follow
📬 How It Was Filed
Delivered without prior appointment, in a sealed envelope addressed to Mariano Federici (head of UIF)
Contents included:
A written statement signed “AD”
Aldo Ducler’s personal business card, with his private phone number
A request for police protection and confidentiality of identity
🚨 The Response
The UIF never answered
This silence amounted to a grave institutional failure, leaving Ducler exposed and vulnerable
🗓️ June 1, 2017: The Sudden Death of Aldo Ducler
🗓️ June 1, 2017: The Sudden Death of Aldo Ducler
🚶 Collapse on the Street
Aldo Ducler collapsed suddenly in downtown Buenos Aires
🚑 Ambulance Irregularities
A private ambulance arrived, but left him lying on the street for 9 minutes
An unidentified individual (allegedly the murderer) entered the ambulance and spent 6 minutes alone with Ducler
After 11 more minutes, three ambulances departed together toward Argerich Hospital
The 3.2 km journey took 18 minutes, despite normally requiring only 4 to 8 minutes
⏱️ Critical Delay
In total, 44 minutes passed from the arrival of the first ambulance until Ducler reached the hospital
🧾 Medical Record Manipulation
The epicrisis (medical report) was altered
Toxicology tests were skipped, obstructing the determination of the true cause of death
🕰️ Timeline – June 1, 2017 (According to the Case File)
🕰️ Timeline – June 1, 2017 (According to the Case File)
🏢 Movements Before Collapse
13:56 → Aldo Ducler enters Arpenta Valores S.A. — where he met with Scasserra (his former partner in Grupo Mercado Abierto)
14:25 → Leaves Arpenta Valores S.A
14:29 → Enters Banco Ciudad
14:38 → Leaves Banco Ciudad
💨 First Attack – Chemical Intoxication
Sarmiento Street → Intercepted and sprayed with a chemical incapacitating agent
All security camera footage erased
Autopsy + histopathology rule out natural causes
Exposure caused acute pulmonary edema + alveolar collapse → sudden fainting
14:43 → Collapses (HSBC cameras)
14:44–14:48 → Passersby + officers Gauna and Esains call SAME for urgent medical help
🚑 Ambulance Irregularities
14:50 → Emergency Medical Unit 106 arrives (HSBC cameras)
14:59 → Ducler loaded into Unit 106 after 9 minutes on the ground
An unidentified individual (NN) enters ambulance → considered the assassin
15:00 → SAME logs show Dr. Carra received the emergency call. 16 min delay; phone system blocked to give exclusivity to Emergency Medical
15:05 → Emergency Medical Unit 116 arrives. NN leaves Unit 106 after 6 minutes inside with Ducler
15:11 → SAME ambulance 312 arrives
15:16 → The three ambulances depart. Ducler was inside ambulance 17 minutes
☠️ Murder Inside Ambulance
In closed space, second toxic agent applied or intoxication prolonged
Caused lethal worsening of pulmonary edema and multi-organ failure
🏥 Hospital & Delays
15:34 → Units 106 + 116 arrive at Argerich Hospital
Trip took 18 minutes for 3.2 km (normally 6)
No traffic camera records of route
15:44 → Police report: Ducler arrived in cardiorespiratory arrest
15:50 → Death recorded in Epicrisis (pp. 8, 81, 152) altered by Dr. Konopka
📱 Suspicious Cell Phone Use
16:02 → Juan Manuel called Aldo’s phone
A person answered
Call lasted 58 sec
Doctors Basile & Forteza testified SAME’s Dr. Carra had Ducler’s cellphone — 28 minutes after leaving him at hospital
👤 Family Arrival & Altered Records
16:20 → Juan Manuel arrives at hospital
16:29 → Emergency Units 106 + 116 intervention ends (after 2 hours total)
Ambulances stayed parked 55 minutes, likely to erase evidence & collect payment
16:50 → Death officially recorded in Epicrisis (p. 270)
16:55 → Officer González seized the Epicrisis delivered by Dr. Konopka
17:45 → Officer González filed Epicrisis in Court → time of death listed 16:50
17:58 → Juan Manuel photographed Epicrisis (p. 152) at hospital → time altered to 15:50
⚖️ Judicial Status
No one has ever been charged or prosecuted
🗓️ June 2–5, 2017: Juan Manuel Ducler Appears as Whistleblower
🗓️ June 2–5, 2017: Juan Manuel Ducler Appears as Whistleblower
👤 Formal Appearance
June 2, 2017 → One day after Aldo Ducler’s death, Juan Manuel Ducler appeared before Argentina’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF)
He ratified his father’s denunciation and claimed legal status as a protected informant under Law 27.319
⚖️ UIF’s Legal Duty
The UIF was legally obligated to investigate, protect his identity, and ensure his safety
🚨 Grave Violation
Instead, the UIF blocked the complaint and failed to provide protection
This amounted to a serious violation of whistleblower rights, exposing him to risk and persecution
📢 Press Conference – Exposure
June 5, 2017 → Mariano Federici, head of the UIF, held a press conference
Instead of safeguarding Juan Manuel’s identity, he publicly exposed him as the whistleblower, further endangering his life
🌍 International Dimension
The UIF’s misconduct and public exposure of a whistleblower strengthen the international case and reinforce claims before the DOJ, SDNY, IACHR, OHCHR, and ICC
🗓️ June 2017 – September 2018: Cover-Up and Closure
🗓️ June 2017 – September 2018: Cover-Up and Closure
📂 Case Archived
The investigation was quickly archived as a “natural death”, ignoring evidence of irregularities
🧪 Forensic Inconsistencies
Multiple contradictions and omissions in medical reports and toxicology were documented
Despite this, all requests to reopen the case were denied
⚖️ Judicial Refusal
The Argentine judicial system refused to investigate the possibility of murder
This ensured impunity and reinforced the cover-up
🗓️ 2017–2023: Persecution of Juan Manuel Ducler
⚖️ False Criminal Charges
3 cases filed by the Oneto family (relatives)
1 case filed by the Eskenazi family (Grupo Petersen)
👧 Family Separation
Prevented from seeing his daughter for 268 days
📰 Harassment & Smear Campaigns
Target of seven years of defamation, orchestrated media attacks, and reputational damage
⚖️ Judicial Pressure
Continuous trials, investigations, and legal harassment designed to silence him as a whistleblower
🗓️ 2015–2023: Burford Lawsuit Advances
⚖️ Filing of the Lawsuit
2015 → Burford Capital filed a lawsuit in the U.S. (Southern District of New York) against Argentina over the 2012 expropriation of YPF, seeking more than $ 16 billion in compensation
🚨 Illegitimacy of the Claim
Burford’s case is null and void under the doctrine of the “fruit of the poisonous tree”, since it relies on the fraudulent Petersen acquisition of YPF shares — the very scheme denounced by Aldo Ducler in 2017
📜 Historic Ruling
September 2023 → Judge Loretta Preska ordered Argentina to pay $ 16.1 billion.
This ruling closed the main stage of the trial, but triggered new disputes and appeals that remain ongoing
🗓️ Dec. 2023 – Feb. 2025: De la Cruz and a Serious Conflict of Interest
🏛️ Fraudulent Structure
Cleary Gottlieb, a New York–based law firm, designed the legal structure that allowed the Grupo Petersen to acquire 25% of YPF (2008–2011) without contributing its own capital
The operation was financed through loans from U.S. and European banks
This fraudulent scheme became the foundation of Burford Capital’s $ 16 billion lawsuit against Argentina in New York
⚖️ Conflict of Interest
Dec. 2023 → Javier de la Cruz, Cleary lawyer who had advised Grupo Petersen, was appointed Deputy Solicitor General of Argentina’s Treasury
He went from structuring Petersen’s fraudulent deal to leading the State’s defense in the very same litigation
💥 Scandal and Resignation
Feb. 2025 → De la Cruz resigned amid a major scandal over leaks of sensitive information to Burford Capital
The scandal triggered the dismissal of more than 60 Treasury officials
🚨 Systemic Issue
This episode exposes a structural conflict of interest:
The same lawyers and bankers who engineered the fraudulent YPF scheme later occupied key government posts
Their actions deliberately weakened Argentina’s defense in U.S. courts
🗓️ 2023–2025: Legal Vindication
✅ Acquittal
Juan Manuel Ducler is fully acquitted and overcomes all false charges brought against him
🌍 International Action
Launches legal proceedings abroad and begins public advocacy to expose the case internationally
💪 Personal Recovery
After two years of struggle, manages to rebuild his life and continue the fight for justice
🗓️ 2025: The Case Goes Global
🌍 International Submissions
✅ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR / CIDH - Petition & Precautionary Measure
✅ United Nations Human Rights Council (UN-OHCHR) - Submission filed
✅ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Tip acknowledged
✅ U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York (SDNY)
✅ U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - Whistleblower filings accepted
✅ International Criminal Court (ICC) - Complaint confirmed
✅ U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) - State crime and YPF Fraud under review
✅ U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) - Whistleblower filings accepted
✅ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) - Whistleblower filings accepted
✅ U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - Investigation pending
✅ Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) - State crime under review
📢 Global Advocacy
✅ Launch of public website, comprehensive dossier, and documentary pitch, expanding the case to the international stage
✊ Next Step: Justice
📂 Case No. 33168/2017 – Argentina
A whistleblower killed
Evidence altered
Seven years of silence
We demand:
Reopening of the case
Independent investigation
International accountability
⚖️ Truth cannot remain buried
⏱️ Justice cannot wait
🚫 No more impunity
#JusticeForDucler #Reopen33168
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse