Published 11/06/2025 14:49
Argentina’s Supreme Court confirmed on Tuesday (10) the condemnation of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for “fraudulent administration” in the Vialidad case, which investigates alleged irregularities in public works in the province of Santa Cruz during her government (2007-2015). The sentence of six years in prison, accompanied by lifetime ineligibility, was celebrated by President Javier Milei and the right opposition as a victory of “justice”. However, critics point to a judicial process contaminated by irregularities, fragile evidence and a media narrative that prioritized political condemnation to the search for concrete evidence.
Cristina Kirchner’s conviction marks a critical moment for Argentina. By using the judicial system as a political weapon, the government Malei and its allies not only harm an opposing leader, but corrode the foundations of representative democracy. While the country debates the future of its institutions, the peronian and union resistance promises to turn the struggle for free rights and elections into a national and international battlefield.
Lawfare: The judicial system used against opposition
Cristina’s condemnation did not occur in a vacuum. Experts and political leaders report that the case is part of a lawfare strategy – the use of judicial institutions to criminalize opposition and eliminate electoral competitors.
Key elements include media pressure and economic power. The newspaper Clarion And other vehicles combined with the government of Mauricio Macri and Javier Milei shaped the anti-cristin narrative for years, presenting it as a symbol of the “Kirchnerist corruption.”
The decision was accelerated, as the Court tried the former president’s appeals in record time, coinciding with the deadline for registration of provincial candidates, a maneuver seen as direct electoral intervention.
The fragility of the evidence was denounced, as the Court validated accusations without concrete evidence of Cristina’s participation in the scheme, such as emails or documents that directly link her to the works.
Reactions: national and international criticism
The Supreme Court’s decision generated chain reactions, with Axel Kicillof, governor of Buenos Aires, criticizing the judicial system. “Justice has become an instrument of political persecution. If this is the judicial system, we are in the oven.”
Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico, expressed solidarity with Cristina, highlighting the “political dimension” of the condemnation.
Marco Enriquez-Imami, leader of the Puebla group,-a political and academic forum composed of leftist political representatives in the world-compared the case to the Lawfare against Lula in Brazil and Morales in Bolivia, stating that the goal is to “ban, not seek justice.”
Human Rights Organizations, such as Praça de Maio’s grandparents and CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies) condemned the sentence, classifying it as an attack on democracy.
Procedural irregularities: a process set up under suspicion
Legal reports and testimonies from experts reveal failures in the trial. The court ignored Cristina’s requests to refute new accusations incorporated during the process.
There was bias of experts, as expert Eloy Bona, responsible for technical analysis, was caught tweeting against the former president before the trial.
Schedule manipulation was another scandal that caught the eye. The Court returned the full case file to the court 24 hours after media pressure, without reviewing critical points raised by the defense.
Electoral and social impact: the war against Peronism
The ineligibility of Cristina, the main leader of the Justicialist Party (PJ), has strategic consequences for the destabilization of opposition. By preventing its candidacy for public office, the Milei government seeks to weaken Peronism in provincial and municipal elections.
Unions such as CGT and social movements already discuss general strikes and protests in support of the former president, with demonstrations in front of his residence in Buenos Aires.
The conflict must be internationalized at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Cristina’s lawyers, such as Gregorio Dalbón, will resort to denouncing political persecution.
The Ghost of the Regional Lawfare: a Latin American pattern
Cristina’s condemnation is part of a regional Lawfare trend against leftist leaders:
Ecuador: Rafael Correia remains influential in Ecuadorian politics, despite exile after governing Enytre 2013 and 2017. The intensified judicial persecution after the betrayal of Lenin Moreno, elected by the Correist base, threatened to arrest him. His deputy Jorge David Glas Espinel was arrested after the illegal invasion of the Mexico Embassy who had offered him political asylum.
Brazil: Lula’s arrest in 2018, later annulled, served to prevent him from running for the presidency.
Bolivia: Evo Morales faced charges of electoral fraud after his forced exile in 2019.
Chile: Marco Estríquez-Imami cited the Argentine case as part of a “repressive wave” that seeks to criminalize the left.
Source: vermelho.org.br
