Argentina: Mercado Libre accused for Abusing Dominant Position

Juan Grabois, leader of CTEP and Frente Patria Grande, accused the Mercado Libre platform and its CEO Márcos Galperín of “Contraband, tax evasion, financial speculation, consumer abuse and unfair competition”, asking the authorities to regulate the company.

The statements were presented in relation to a report, which includes the benefits of electronic platforms, while Mercado Libre is accused of abusing it’s dominant position. “Mercado Libre has a hegemonic place in electronic commerce in Argentina, it charges excessive commissions and imposes abusive conditions on users of the platform, which is a practice punishable by law.”

Grabois is convinced that “the Mercado Libre case” must be analyzed by the National Commission for the Defense of Competition (CNDC). “There is a recent case in which the CNDC penalized the Prisma company for abuse of a dominant position, in a situation very similar to that which currently occurs with Mercado Libre, Mercado Pago and Mercado Crédito”, Grabois declared.