Argentina’s Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Sentenced and Barred from Public Office

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s former president and one of the country’s most polarizing political figures, was sentenced to prison and disqualified from holding public office after the nation’s Supreme Court upheld her corruption conviction.

This ruling is expected to intensify Argentina’s political tensions, coming shortly after Fernández de Kirchner, who survived an assassination attempt three years ago, announced intentions to re-enter the political arena.

Supporters of the left-leaning former president blocked key streets in Buenos Aires ahead of the court’s decision. Fernández de Kirchner has been a frequent adversary of the current right-wing president, Javier Milei, at a time when major labor unions are threatening nationwide strikes.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by Fernández de Kirchner, affirming a six-year prison sentence handed down by a lower court that found she defrauded the state during her two presidential terms from 2007 to 2015.

Given her age of 72, it is unlikely that Fernández de Kirchner will serve significant time behind bars, as Argentine law permits house arrest for individuals over 70. A lower court will decide whether to grant her this option.

According to Andrés Gil Domínguez, a constitutional law professor at the University of Buenos Aires, the former president may spend a few days in police custody while a judge reviews her potential house arrest.

A dominant figure in Argentine politics for over 30 years, Fernández de Kirchner remains divisive. While many Argentines associate her presidency with economic mismanagement and corruption, she retains a loyal base that credits her with implementing ambitious social welfare programs.

Besides her presidency, Fernández de Kirchner served as vice president from 2019 to 2023 and has faced multiple corruption allegations. In 2022, she was convicted of diverting public works contracts in a southern province to benefit a family friend and business associate.

She has denounced the charges as politically motivated and accused her opponents of using the judiciary to curtail her influence.