Kirchner, former Argentine president, commences six-year imprisonment at home
In June 2025, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a divisive figure in Argentine politics, began serving a six-year sentence for fraud at her residence in Buenos Aires. This decision was made by the Supreme Court, following Kirchner's conviction for corruption related to public works contracts as President.
Kirchner, a leader lauded by the left and loathed by the right, has long claimed that her prosecution is merely a political ploy to put an end to her career and dismantle her legacy of economic policies and social programs. Her supporters argue that the case is riddled with judicial bias, pointing out allegedly close ties between some of the judges who convicted her in lower courts and former center-right president, Mauricio Macri, one of her primary adversaries.
However, many Argentines believe that Kirchner's conviction was well-deserved, following the awarding of road work tenders to one of her business associates. This conviction makes Kirchner the second ex-leader since Argentina's transition to democracy in 1983 to receive a prison sentence, after Carlos Saul Menem, who was convicted of weapons trafficking but never served time behind bars due to immunity as a senator.
While protests were expected, the risk of unrest appeared to have diminished after a federal court deemed that Kirchner could serve her sentence at home under electronic surveillance. The court stipulated that she should steer clear of any actions that could potentially disrupt her neighborhood's peace and harmony.
In response to the decision, one of Kirchner's lawyers, Gregorio Dalbon, stated, "THE LAW PREVAILED. THE PEOPLE PREVAILED." The legal team welcomed the decision to spare her an embarrassing incarceration.
Kirchner, who rose to prominence as part of a political power couple with her late husband Nestor Kirchner, served as President from 2007 to 2015 and Vice President from 2019 to 2023. Her legacy continues to be a contentious issue in Argentine politics.
- The conviction of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a divisive figure in Argentine politics, for corruption in the field of public works contracts as President, has sparked ongoing debates about political bias in the judiciary, particularly considering the perceived close ties between some judges and former center-right president Mauricio Macri.
- In the realm of general-news, crime-and-justice, recent events have shown that Kirchner's conviction, along with her claims of a political ploy to derail her career, has reverberated across Argentine society, leaving a contentious legacy that continues to challenge the nation's political landscape, especially after her prison sentence for fraud was announced.
