Two new detainees have been added to the La Salada mega-case in recent hours. They are the former general secretary of the street vendors' union (SUTFRA), Walter Anibal Godoy, and his accomplice Jonatan Rojas, according to judicial sources. This is in the context of a fraud case against vendors for over 40 million pesos, being led by prosecutor Sergio Mola and judge Luis Armella. Godoy and Rojas, both with criminal records, are accused of demanding money from the vendors in exchange for influencing the court and prosecutor's office to resolve measures that prevented them from accessing stalls and making a living. In fact, they presented themselves as 'managers' blessed by Armella and Incardona. The vendors were selling their clothes on stalls located on the Ocean cooperative's premises, known for their 'basket' format. As there was no formal record of their existence, let alone a record of their rent payments, the administrators of Ocean decided to close them in the brief period between last May's closure and June's intervention to avoid problems with the intervening manager, Leticia Torres. According to testimonies in the file, Godoy first asked them to gather 25 thousand dollars in exchange for a final permit to continue selling on the premises, which would be issued immediately with the signature of both judicial officials. The vendors initially said they had gathered and delivered the money at Rojas's house, and then, at the prosecutor's request, identified the address on Mazzei Street in Longchamps, which aggravates the detainees' situation. After weeks with no response, Godoy demanded more money from the vendors, mostly Bolivian immigrants. Then, the vendors' response was to hire a criminal lawyer, who immediately filed a fraud lawsuit. The case was assigned to the 1st Prosecutor's Office of Lomas, led by Dr. Sergio Mola. Once the case was initiated, Godoy and Rojas threatened the complainants with firearms to make them drop their charges. The threats are also under investigation, according to sources consulted. His alleged accomplice, Rojas, has a suspended sentence of thirteen years for extortive kidnappings. The Court of Appeals rejected his appeal, and now it is up to the supreme court to decide. The vendors are now also seeking a resolution on the merits of the case, that is, their right to work. The objective is for them to be recognized for their contribution, in many cases over two decades or more, in the form of rent payments.
