Controversy with a mayor from Catamarca: she missed the May 25th event, said she was sick, but had gone to the Caribbean.

Valle Viejo , a municipality of 35,000 inhabitants in Catamarca, became the scene of a heated controversy that began with a trip taken by the local mayor, Susana Zenteno . The woman's two-week absence from her duties generated suspicion and led to a criminal complaint against her and a request for impeachment by the opposition to her administration.

The unrest among the local political leadership began after it was reported that the official did not complete the transfer of power before leaving office. She had also argued that she would not be present at the ceremony on May 25th due to "illness." However, the appearance on social media of a series of images showing her at a luxury hotel in the Dominican Republic cast doubt on her account and gave rise to political criticism of her sloppy actions.

The photos in question , uploaded to Instagram Stories by one of her daughters, suggested that the mayor might be on vacation at the beach. It was then that Radio Valle Viejo , a local media outlet, confirmed, after calling the hotel, that Zenteno was in the Dominican Republic with her family.

The confirmation of the incident shocked residents and municipal authorities, including those who represent the mayor's party, a Peronist. According to El Ancasti , it was the president of the City Council, Lucas Cisternas , who first pointed out the "institutional seriousness" of the incident.

Speaking to the press, the councilman said that on Saturday, May 24, he had received a call from the municipality's general secretary, Rolando Contreras , informing him that he had to preside over the following day's event commemorating the national holiday because the mayor "was ill."

The news sparked outrage, a situation that worsened when it was confirmed that Zenteno was not in the country. Particularly because such circumstances require a transfer of power that had not yet been finalized.

"We assumed the mayor was in Valle Viejo, because we were notified that way, and therefore a transfer of power wasn't appropriate. But if there's a sick leave, she should state what type of illness she has and whether it truly warrants the absence," said the councilor, who described the mayor's attitude as "a serious offense" and spoke of "institutional headlessness."

The issue moved to the deliberative body's chamber, where this Thursday's session focused on the lack of a decree formalizing the transfer of power. Furthermore, they questioned "the legality of institutional actions during the mayor's absence ."

Earlier in the morning, the president of the Radical Youth for Valle Viejo, Ángel Emanuel Barrios , had filed a criminal complaint against the mayor and questioned both Cisternas and councilors Franco Iramaín and Camila Morabito.

The charge is for "violation of the duties of a public official, dereliction of duty, embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment , and other charges that may arise from the investigation." The financial issues allude to the possibility that the trip was funded with public funds.

Zenteno's defense, which did not comment on the matter, came from the Young Peronists of Valle Viejo , who issued a statement in which they defined the criticisms against the mayor as "a new maneuver of political and media persecution that seeks to damage her image and management."