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The Supreme Court of Argentina confirmed the corruption condemnation of former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, triggering a sentence of six years in prison and a political prohibition for the main opposition chief to President Javier Milei.
The Court rejected Kirchner’s appeal from his conviction in 2022 for fraudulent administration in the allocation of public works contracts to a businessman during his 2007-15 presidency. A court of appeal confirmed the verdict last year.
Kirchner72 years old, will probably be authorized to purge his under residence under a residence due to allowances over 70 years under the Argentine law.
Addressing supporters after the decision outside the headquarters of the Peronist Party of Buenos Aires, Kirchner rejected his conviction as a political motivation and accused the three judges of the Court of “restricting the popular vote”.
“In reality, these restrictions do not come from this shameful trio,” she said. “These are three puppets that respond to … the concentrated economic powers of the Argentine Republic, the comrades.”
Kirchner’s ban, one of the most dividing and influential leaders on the left of Latin America over the past two decades, will reshape Argentine politics. As president of the Peronist Party, she had been a potential rival for Libertarian Milei during the 2027 presidential election, the polls suggesting that she has kept the support of around 30% of the electorate.
“This takes us to an unexplored territory in ArgentinaWho has not seen the exclusions of main politicians such as Brazil and other countries in the region, “said Marcelo García, director of the Americas at Consultancy Horizon hires.” For peronists, it is a strong incentive to unify (in the short term) to defend a leader whom they consider to be persevered. “”
The former president shot peronism, a populist movement focused on labor rights and national sovereignty, strongly on the left during her two mandates, considerably widening the state.
Later, she was vice-president in the 2019-23 government which supervised the deepening of economic scandals and the scandals of the corruption of Argentina, fueling the anti-pulite feeling which, according to polls, say that the rise of Milei has propelled.
Peronism has struggled to find a clear message since his presidential candidate in 2023, Sergio Massa, lost decisively against Milei, 54.
Milei’s victory also overthrew the centrist coalitions and the right of establishment, according to analysts, leaving some leaders capable of contesting its aggressive free market reforms.
Kirchner was locked in a fight to direct peronism with his former protégé Axel Kicillof, The governor of the province of Buenos Aires. She had planned to present herself for a siege to her provincial legislature in the September elections.
Kicillof, 53, who was Minister of the Economy under Kirchner, “becomes the obvious candidate to direct peronism now,” said García, although Kirchner can keep influence on him and the movement.
However, his withdrawal of politics could give the peonists a chance to “go beyond the Kirchner era, which they have tried and not doing since 2015,” said Juan Negri, professor of politics at Torcuato Di University of Buenos Aires. “They must find new leaders who are not in his shadow if they want to be a winning force in the future.”
Peronists are the largest block in the Congress fragmented in Argentina, with around 40% of the seats.
In MarchThe administration of Donald Trump, a close ally of Milei, prevented Kirchner from entering the United States, citing his involvement in “several corruption regimes involving public works contracts”.