Union leader who bought apartment below Kirchner's home denies wrongdoing

María Soledad Calle, a union leader and former councilwoman, has purchased an apartment located directly below the residence of former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner. The transaction, for $189,000, was registered on August 20 of last year, according to property records.

Calle, who currently heads a union federation for Latin America and the Caribbean, has publicly supported the management of Abel Furlán within the Metalworkers' Union (UOM). She has also accompanied Governor Axel Kicillof on campaign events and expressed admiration for Cristina Kirchner.

This purchase occurred shortly after Cristina Kirchner began her house arrest. Around the same time, Calle acquired a BMW vehicle. Six months later, in February of this year, she became involved in a legal complaint concerning alleged fraudulent administration within the UOM. The investigation focuses on a contract signed between the union and the company USEM in December 2022, where Calle is listed as vice president.

Documents indicate that the UOM granted USEM the administration of 80% of the contributions from its 200,000 members. This arrangement reportedly generated monthly profits of approximately $100 million for USEM SA, which receives 0.5% of the workers' total contributions. Calle, however, denies any involvement in mismanagement. "I didn't buy anything. It's a union and power dispute. I don't have any of the roles assigned to me, I don't hold any position in the UOM, and I am not an employee of USEM. They chose me as a target and are tearing my life apart," Calle stated in an interview with LA NACION.

Calle has a background in public service, having served in the Buenos Aires Province Chamber of Deputies, the provincial Directorate of Culture and Education, and as a councilwoman in Campana, where she led the La Cámpora bloc for four years. She actively participated in the 2023 provincial election campaigns, appearing alongside figures like Axel Kicillof and Senator Wado de Pedro, and later supported Sergio Massa's presidential bid.

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I didn't buy anything. It's a union and power dispute. I don't have any of the roles assigned to me, I don't hold any position in the UOM, and I am not an employee of USEM. They chose me as a target and are tearing my life apart.