Argentine ex-President Kirchner handed house arrest in graft case
By Nicolás Misculin and Miguel Lo Bianco
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -An Argentine judge on Tuesday put former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner under house arrest to serve out a six-year sentence for corruption in a case that has effectively brought down the country's most prominent politician in recent decades.
Kirchner, 72, a polarizing leftist two-term president from 2007 to 2015, as well as a former first lady, VP and Senator, was convicted by a court in 2022 over a fraud scheme involving public projects in Patagonia that allegedly benefited an ally.
Argentina's Supreme Court last week upheld the conviction and sentence following an appeal. That also includes a lifetime ban from holding public political office. Kirchner has denied wrongdoing, claiming political persecution.
The judge on Tuesday ruled that Kirchner should serve the sentence, effective immediately, at her Buenos Aires residence due to her age, adding she would wear an electronic ankle tag. Kirchner had sought house arrest to avoid going to jail.
She must remain at home except for court-approved or justified exceptions and, within 48 working hours, provide a list of authorized individuals, including household members and medical staff. Other visitors will require court approval.
Kirchner is one of Argentina's most divisive political figures. Her influence still looms large over the left-leaning Peronist movement, even after its defeat in 2023 to libertarian President Javier Milei.
On Tuesday, a few thousand supporters rallied in Buenos Aires, banging drums, blocking roads and waving banners bearing the image of Eva Peron, the iconic former first lady. "Evita" was revered by many Argentines for her advocacy for the poor and workers' rights during her husband Juan Peron's presidency in the mid-20th century.
"We're going to keep fighting for her release," said Manuel Ortiz, a Kirchner supporter, outside her Buenos Aires apartment. "We're going to fight with everything and give our lives for her, because we are Peronists."
Kirchner's popularity and the broader Peronist movement have taken a hit in recent years, especially during her 2019–2023 vice presidency under Alberto Fernandez. His administration struggled with runaway inflation and a deepening economic crisis driven in part by excessive money printing.
Despite her legal setbacks, Kirchner retains a fiercely loyal support base, particularly among working-class voters who benefited from subsidies during her presidency and that of her late husband Nestor Kirchner.
She is not the first Argentine leader to face criminal conviction. Former President Carlos Menem was sentenced to over four years in prison for embezzlement in the 1990s, though his role as senator shielded him from serving time behind bars.
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