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Former Argentine president Menem misses arms trial

Former Argentine president Carlos Menem was a no-show on Thursday at the opening of his trial on charges of illegally selling arms to Ecuador and Croatia in the early 1990s.

Defense lawyer Omar Daer presented a medical certificate attesting to the poor health of Menem, 78, who has been hospitalized three times this year for bronchial and urinary tract infections.

Lawyers did not make opening arguments against Menem, but prosecutors accuse him and 17 former government officials — including his defense minister and air force chief — of violating international arms embargoes by selling artillery, anti-tank missiles, mortars and rifles to Ecuador and Croatia.

At the time, a UN ban prohibited arms sales to warring parties from the former Yugoslavia, while the Organization of American States banned sales to Ecuador and Peru amid a brief, armed border conflict.

Prosecutors say the defendants conspired to funnel the arms to the countries by illegally redirecting legitimate shipments to Venezuela and Panama. Menem and the others deny the allegations, saying private companies diverted the shipments without their knowledge.
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