The former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is currently facing a critical judicial decision regarding a six-year prison sentence in the Vialidad case. The case centers on allegations of defrauding the state by directing 80% of the national public works budget in the south province of Santa Cruz toward the construction company of Lázaro Báez between 2003 and 2015.
It is important to note that Fernández de Kirchner was acquitted of the charge of illicit association, although investigations into that aspect continue. The decision on this matter is set to take place in Buenos Aires neighborhood of Comodoro Py. At the same time, there has been a hearing related to the assassination attempt on the former president.
Recently, Fernández de Kirchner issued a statement titled “Los copitos de Comodoro Py,” referring to three judges overseeing the appellate court. In this communication, she once again claimed that political opponents are seeking to disqualify her from running for office in the future. From the perspective of the Justicialist Party, the case is seen as part of a broader political persecution, with supporters arguing that no Argentine political leader has been so never stopped being targeted by the judiciary and political forces since the country’s return to democracy.
Additionally, the Federal Court of Cassation has decided the decision to permanently disqualify Fernández de Kirchner from holding public office. While the ruling was being read, the former president was attending an event with women, during which she remarked, “They can’t stand to argue with a woman. If they’re punishing me, it’s not because of what I’ve done but because I’m a woman, and they can’t stand a woman speaking out and being right.”
During her twelve years in office, first with her late husband Néstor Kirchner and later as president herself, Fernández de Kirchner has consistently denied the charges against her, claiming to be the victim of what she refers to as the “lawfare” or judicial war. She asserts that she has been unfairly targeted for political reasons. This case marks a historic moment as it is the first time in Argentina’s history that the judiciary has judged and convicted a former sitting president. The court has also demanded the seizure of assets amounting to approximately $300 million from the Kirchner family and other individuals convicted in the same case.
According to the prosecution, 79% of the public works contracts awarded during Fernández de Kirchner’s presidency—totaling 51 projects—were awarded to Báez’s company, of which only two were completed. The rest were left unfinished or overcharged, with the state allegedly losing over one billion dollars. Seven other former government officials are also facing convictions in this case. Some of them had already been detained for other corruption-related crimes, such as José López, the former Secretary of Public Works, famously caught in 2016 attempting to throw bags of cash into a convent in Buenos Aires Province.
In her defense, Fernández de Kirchner argues that the prosecution has failed to provide concrete evidence linking her directly to the awarding of contracts to Lázaro Báez’s company. She contends that there are no messages or documents implicating her in the alleged misconduct.
If the sentence is confirmed, it will need to be ratified by both the Federal Court of Cassation and the Argentine Supreme Court. Given the slow pace of the judicial system in Argentina, this process could take several years to reach the final conclusion. As the judicial proceedings unfold, the implications for her future political career remain uncertain.