Latest news with #CristinaFernándezdeKirchner
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Cristina Fernández's conviction triggers Peronist reassessment
June 19 (UPI) -- In her first public appearance since her arrest, former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner addressed supporters in a recorded message Wednesday at a rally in Buenos Aires, where crowds gathered to proclaim her innocence. "At this stage, we need to get organized to clarify what the real problem is in our country. We will come back with more wisdom, more unity, and more strength," the former president said in the recording. Fernández was sentenced to six years of house arrest for defrauding the state of an estimated $500 million. Her arrest has, for now, unified Peronist factions around her image and message of resistance. Even factions within Kirchnerist Peronism that previously opposed her have been pushed to rally behind Fernández's narrative, in which she describes herself as "banned" and "imprisoned for standing up to the powerful." But that grassroots momentum faces growing pressure from Argentina's worsening economic crisis and a divided Peronist movement still struggling to form a unified electoral strategy. The first major test will come in September's Buenos Aires elections, followed by nationwide legislative races in October, where the party will need to shift from protest to political competition. For now, no clear leader has emerged to unite the Peronist movement. Meanwhile, a more radical, left-leaning faction is gaining ground under La Cámpora, a group led by former President Fernández's son, Máximo Kirchner. Labor unions under the General Confederation of Labor, or CGT -- long aligned with Peronism -- have expressed solidarity with Fernández. The CGT has encouraged members to mobilize but left participation to individual discretion. It remains unclear whether Peronist governors will continue to follow Fernández's lead --especially in provinces where President Javier Milei and his party, La Libertad Avanza, have gained significant ground. "The ruling against Cristina comes at a moment when Peronism is fragmented, clinging to outdated narratives and struggling to connect with the public's current demands," political analyst Juan Negri said in an interview with Infobae. "People today are more worried about making ends meet than about epic stories from the past." According to polling firm Opinaia, 69% of Argentines familiar with the Supreme Court ruling said they believe the decision was fair. Just 25% see Fernández as either innocent or the target of a political setup. The court ordered all those convicted in the so-called "Vialidad case," including Fernández, to repay funds embezzled through fraudulent administration. The original ruling estimated losses to the state at about $500 million. Judicial authorities are now updating that figure and seeking to recover the funds from Fernández's assets and those of her co-defendants. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos of Cristina Fernández supporters as she serves a prison sentence for corruption in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Supporters of former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have been gathering outside her Buenos Aires apartment and in the Plaza de Mayo for the past week after the nation's highest court upheld her sentence in a corruption case. Fernández was found guilty of illegally directing state contracts to a friend while she was first lady and president, and the ruling bars her from running in this fall's legislative election. A federal court has granted Fernandez's request to serve a six-year prison sentence for corruption at home, where she lives with her daughter and her granddaughter. The ruling cited her age and security reasons, after the 72-year-old survived an attempted assassination three years ago.
3 days ago
- Politics
Argentine ex-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner allowed to serve corruption sentence at home
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- A federal court on Tuesday granted a request by former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to serve a six-year prison sentence for corruption at her home in Buenos Aires. Judges ruled that Fernández, 72, can serve time in the apartment where she lives with her daughter and her granddaughter, citing her age and security reasons. Fernández was the victim of an attempted assassination three years ago. In the ruling, obtained by The Associated Press, the court said Fernández 'must remain at the registered address, an obligation that she may not break except in exceptional situations." The court also ordered Fernández be placed under the watch of an electronic surveillance device to monitor her movements. Last week, Argentina's highest court upheld Fernández's sentence in a ruling that permanently banned her from public office over the corruption conviction that found she had directed state contracts to a friend while she was the first lady and president. The ruling against Fernández, Argentina's charismatic yet deeply divisive ex-leader, sent her supporters pouring into the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, and blocking major highways in protest. The ruling barred Fernández from running in this fall's Buenos Aires legislative election just days after she launched her campaign. On Tuesday, the court dismissed prosecutors' request that Fernández serve time behind bars. Judges said that the physical integrity of the political leader 'would become complex in a situation of prison confinement in coexistence with any type of prison population.' Seeking to serve the sentence at home, the former president had argued that she is more than 70 years old — an extenuating circumstance taken into account by the justice system to grant the privilege. Fernández dominated Argentine politics for two decades and forged the country's main left-wing populist movement known as Kirchnerism — after her and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner. She rejects the charges as politically motivated. During Fernández's eight years in office from 2007–2015, Argentina expanded cash payments to the poor and pioneered major social assistance programs. Her governments funded unbridled state spending by printing money, bringing Argentina notoriety for major budget deficits and sky-high inflation. Critics blamed Argentina's years of economic volatility on Fernández's policies, and outrage over successive economic crises and the country's bloated bureaucracy helped vault radical libertarian President Javier Milei to the presidency in late 2023. Fernández was embroiled in multiple corruption scandals during her tenure. She was convicted in 2022 of corruption in a case that centered on 51 public contracts for public works awarded to companies linked to Lázaro Báez, a convicted construction magnate and friend of the presidential couple, at prices 20% above the standard rate in a project that cost the state tens of millions of dollars. Fernández has questioned the impartiality of the judges. She claimed that her defense didn't have access to much of the evidence and that it was gathered without regard to legal deadlines.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Argentine ex-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner allowed to serve corruption sentence at home
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A federal court on Tuesday granted a request by former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to serve a six-year prison sentence for corruption at her home in Buenos Aires. Judges ruled that Fernández, 72, can serve time in the apartment where she lives with her daughter and granddaughter, citing her age and security reasons. Fernández was the victim of an attempted assassination three years ago. In the ruling, the court said Fernández 'must remain at the registered address, an obligation that she may not break except in exceptional situations.' The court also ordered that Fernández be placed under the watch of an electronic surveillance device to monitor her movements. Last week, Argentina's highest court upheld Fernández's sentence in a ruling that permanently banned her from public office over the corruption conviction that found she had directed state contracts to a friend while she was the first lady and president. The ruling sent her supporters pouring into the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, and blocking major highways in protest. The ruling also barred Fernández — Argentina's charismatic yet deeply divisive ex-leader — from running in this fall's Buenos Aires legislative election just days after she launched her campaign. On Tuesday, the court dismissed prosecutors' request that Fernández serve time behind bars. Judges said that the physical integrity of the political leader 'would become complex in a situation of prison confinement in coexistence with any type of prison population.' Seeking to serve the sentence at home, the former president had argued that she is more than 70 years old — an extenuating circumstance taken into account by the justice system to grant the privilege. Fernández dominated Argentine politics for two decades and forged the country's main left-wing populist movement — known as Kirchnerism — after her and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner. She rejects the charges as politically motivated. During Fernández's eight years in office from 2007 to 2015, Argentina expanded cash payments to the poor and pioneered major social assistance programs. Her governments funded unbridled state spending by printing money, bringing Argentina notoriety for major budget deficits and sky-high inflation. Critics blamed Argentina's years of economic volatility on Fernández's policies, and outrage over successive economic crises and the country's bloated bureaucracy helped vault radical libertarian President Javier Milei to the presidency in late 2023. Fernández was embroiled in multiple corruption scandals during her tenure. She was convicted in 2022 of corruption in a case that centered on 51 public contracts for public works awarded to companies linked to Lázaro Báez, a convicted construction magnate and friend of the presidential couple, at prices 20% above the standard rate in a project that cost the state tens of millions of dollars. Fernández has questioned the impartiality of the judges. She claimed that her defense didn't have access to much of the evidence and that it was gathered without regard to legal deadlines. Fernández faces a series of other upcoming trials on corruption charges.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Argentine ex-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner allowed to serve corruption sentence at home
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A federal court on Tuesday granted a request by former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to serve a six-year prison sentence for corruption at her home in Buenos Aires. Judges ruled that Fernández, 72, can serve time in the apartment where she lives with her daughter and her granddaughter, citing her age and security reasons. Fernández was the victim of an attempted assassination three years ago. In the ruling, obtained by The Associated Press, the court said that Fernández 'must remain at the registered address, an obligation that she may not break except in exceptional situations." The court also ordered that Fernández be placed under the watch of an electronic surveillance device to monitor her movements. Last week, Argentina's highest court upheld Fernández's sentence in a ruling that permanently banned her from public office over the corruption conviction that found she had directed state contracts to a friend while she was the first lady and president. The ruling left Fernández, Argentina's charismatic yet deeply divisive ex-leader, sent her supporters pouring into the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, and blocking major highways in protest. The ruling barred Fernández from running in this fall's Buenos Aires legislative election just days after she launched her campaign. On Tuesday, the court dismissed prosecutors' request that Fernández serve time behind bars. Judges said that the physical integrity of the political leader 'would become complex in a situation of prison confinement in coexistence with any type of prison population.' Seeking to serve the sentence at home, the former president had argued that she is more than 70 years old — an extenuating circumstance taken into account by the justice system to grant the privilege. Fernández dominated Argentine politics for two decades and forged the country's main left-wing populist movement known as Kirchnerism — after her and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner. She rejects the charges as politically motivated. During Fernández's eight years in office from 2007–2015, Argentina expanded cash payments to the poor and pioneered major social assistance programs. Her governments funded unbridled state spending by printing money, bringing Argentina notoriety for major budget deficits and sky-high inflation. Critics blamed Argentina's years of economic volatility on Fernández's policies, and outrage over successive economic crises and the country's bloated bureaucracy helped vault radical libertarian President Javier Milei to the presidency in late 2023. Fernández was embroiled in multiple corruption scandals during her tenure. She was convicted in 2022 of corruption in a case that centered on 51 public contracts for public works awarded to companies linked to Lázaro Báez, a convicted construction magnate and friend of the presidential couple, at prices 20% above the standard rate in a project that cost the state tens of millions of dollars. Fernández has questioned the impartiality of the judges. She claimed that her defense didn't have access to much of the evidence and that it was gathered without regard to legal deadlines. Fernández faces a series of other upcoming trials on corruption charges.
