Peronist legislator Ramón Flores requested leave from his seat in the Córdoba unicameral legislature following the arrest of his adviser José Aníbal Ricardo Villarreal. The decision comes after the Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) caucus called for the legislator's removal from the legislature representing the Río Seco district.
The radical caucus, led by Matías Gvozdenovich, submitted a resolution proposal demanding Flores' exclusion from the Córdoba legislature invoking article 99 of the Provincial Constitution and the grounds of "unworthiness". The radicals argued that the situation requires an institutional response given the links Villarreal maintained with Flores.
Villarreal is detained and charged with alleged sexual abuse involving penetration and grooming. According to the investigation being conducted by prosecutor Analía Cepede, the alleged acts affected three adolescents aged 13 and 14 in Villa de María de Río Seco. The emergence of a prior criminal record for Villarreal from 2021 intensified political pressure on Flores.
In a statement, Flores stated that his leave would allow the judicial investigation to proceed "with absolute freedom" and without interference from his institutional duties. "I am not involved in any of the acts being investigated. It will be Justice that determines individual responsibilities," he said.
Flores presented his decision as an institutional stance necessary in the face of doubts generated by the case. He maintained that he rules out participating in "speculation" or political confrontations and stressed that the focus must remain on the victims and their families.