Argentina: Whether the Cumelcan Foundation (Fundación Cumelcan) is under investigation for economic fraud, including details on the official complaint and judiciary process; whether an investigation is taking place to determine if employees were threatened or persecuted following the fraud investigation, including details of the investigation (2015-December 2016)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 8 December 2016 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ARG105704.E |
| Related Document(s) | Argentine : information indiquant si la Fondation Cumelcan (Fundación Cumelcan) fait l'objet d'une enquête pour fraude économique, y compris les détails relatifs à la plainte officielle et au processus judiciaire; si une enquête est en cours afin d'établir si des employés ont été menacés ou persécutés à la suite de l'enquête pour fraude, y compris les détails relatifs à l'enquête (2015-décembre 2016) |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Whether the Cumelcan Foundation (Fundación Cumelcan) is under investigation for economic fraud, including details on the official complaint and judiciary process; whether an investigation is taking place to determine if employees were threatened or persecuted following the fraud investigation, including details of the investigation (2015-December 2016), 8 December 2016, ARG105704.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58736e204.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa
Information on the Cumelcan Foundation (Fundación Cumelcan) was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
The official gazette of the Province of Córdoba indicates that CUMELCAN S.R.L. [Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada] (CUMELCAN Ltd.) was created in 2005 by Elizabeth Liliana Silveira and Silvia Gabriela Alvarez in the city of Córdoba (Córdoba 22 Feb. 2006). The same source states that the organization's objectives include the [translation] "creation, organization, operation and/or administration" of educational institutions and centres for people with disabilities; as well as providing seminars and training on, and publishing printing material related to, the areas of education and rehabilitation of people with disabilities (ibid.). According to sources, CUMELCAN S.R.L. is located at Mogroviejo 7760, Barrio Villa 9 de Julio, Córdoba City, Province of Córdoba (ibid.; UNC 11 July 2016). An 11 July 2016 document produced by the National University of Córdoba (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, UNC) outlines an agreement between the university's Faculty of Psychology and CUMELCAN S.R.L. for training undergraduate psychology students (ibid.). Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
In an article published in clickug [1], Pablo Perez, an [translation] "independent journalist, specializing in money laundering," indicates that Fundación Cumelcan was created by Liliana Elizabeth Silveira in 2005 (Perez 10 Apr. 2016). Perez provides the following information: "Fundación Cumelcan" (Foundation Cumelcan) or Centro Educativo Terapéutico Cumelcán (Cumelcan Therapeutic Educational Centre) has received funding from the Argentinian government. Fundación Cumelcan "has been the perfect place for the movement of capital of political origins" and there is a complaint against the foundation for overpricing, "exorbitant" salaries paid to its employees, and money laundering. Investigators have been trying to determine if some of the organization's "collaborators" have been threatened or persecuted after, according to the family that filed the complaint, one of Fundación Cumelcan's collaborators, Yanina Mendoza, "was murdered in suspicious circumstances shortly after she manifested the intention of leaving the foundation" (Perez 10 Apr. 2016). Additional and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Information on the author of the article, Pablo Perez, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Note
[1] According to its website, clickug is "a platform for promoting and selling products and services online from companies, professionals and individuals" (clickug n.d.a). Another webpage by clickug indicates that people can post "unlimited news" for "free" (ibid.). A copy of the editorial guidelines to publish in clickug is attached to this Response.
References
clickug. N.d.a. "clickug." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016]
clickug. N.d.b. "Publish Your Blog Posts and Press Releases Free!" [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016]
Córdoba. 22 February 2006. "Cumelcan SRL." Boletín Oficial de la Provincia de Córdoba. Year XCIV, Issue CDXCIII, No. 16. [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016]
Perez, Pablo. 10 April 2016 (updated 17 September 2016). clickug. "Usan entidades de uso social para lavado de dinero y persecusión de opositores." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016]
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. 11 July 2016. Facultad de Psicología. Resolución No. 1242. [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016]
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Agencia EFE; Argentina - Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos, Policía Federal; BBC; Cadena 3; Cámara de Comercio de Córdoba; Clarín; CNN; Córdoba - Fiscalía de Estado, Ministerio Público Fiscal, Policía, Portal Oficial; crunchbase; Día a Día; Factiva; La Nación; La Prensa; La Voz del Interior; Noticias Terra; Observatorio Provincial de Violencia contra las Mujeres; PR Newswire; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - Cba24n.
Attachment
clickug. N.d. "Editorial Guidelines." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016]
