An Argentine legislative commission has concluded that the sinking of a submarine with all 44 crewmembers was caused by the inefficiency of naval commanders and budget limitations, discarding theories the vessel was attacked or hit by a ship.
In a report released Thursday, the legislators also questioned the handling of the crisis by Defense Minister Oscar Aguad and President Mauricio Macri, who the commission said showed a "low level of involvement with everything related to the tragedy."
The report said the then-commander of the submarine force, Claudio Villamide, "did not seek advice from qualified technical personnel."
It said the naval chain of command "did not transmit to political leaders information in a detailed and complete form."
Regarding the search operation, it said, "there was evidence of a lack of leadership in the face of the crisis as well as concealment of the circumstances of the tragedy from family members and public opinion."
"I think that the responsibilities are clear."