On October 31, 2024, Argentina’s Competition Defense Commission of the Bar Association of Buenos Aires held a conference exploring leniency programs in Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The event featured Alexis Pirchio, President of Argentina’s National Commission for the Defense of Competition (CNDC), along with experts Ricardo Riesco from Chile and Alejandro Falla Jara from Peru, who shared insights into leniency programs aimed at dismantling cartel behavior in their respective countries.
Discussions focused on Argentina’s newly approved regulation detailing procedures and requirements for leniency applications under Law 27,442. The law allows companies or individuals engaged in anti-competitive practices, such as price-fixing, supply restrictions, and market division, to seek reduced penalties by cooperating with the CNDC. Leniency applicants can receive exemptions or reductions from fines, which can reach up to 30% of a company’s turnover in Argentina, by providing substantial evidence of cartel activities.
The event underscored the success of leniency programs in Chile and Peru, where they have become essential tools for uncovering cartel operations, and highlighted Argentina’s efforts to strengthen its own enforcement mechanisms.
