Tainted fentanyl deaths in Argentina top 100 as political tensions rise

By Gizem Nisa Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) -More than 100 people have died in Argentina from contaminated fentanyl distributed to hospitals, authorities confirmed Thursday, intensifying public outrage and political recriminations ahead of key elections, according to local media reports.

Government spokespersons for Argentinian President Javier Milei said in a statement that the drugs came from a batch manufactured by Ariel Furfaro Garcia, owner of HLB Pharma Group, JacarandaFM reported on Friday.

The statement noted that Argentina’s drug regulator, ANMAT, had shut down the lab three months before the first fatalities.

Furfaro Garcia has denied responsibility, claiming a former colleague planted the accusations in the media.

"This is the manufacturer of the contaminated fentanyl batch responsible for more than 100 deaths," the presidency said, while Milei accused allies of former President Cristina Kirchner of an "atrocious cover-up," offering no evidence.

At a campaign rally in La Plata, he called Furfaro a "longtime Kirchnerist associate" who was "getting away with any atrocity."

The crisis, under investigation since May, has triggered protests from victims' families in La Plata, where the first deaths occurred.

Experts warn the death toll could climb as hospitals review records.