After being sentenced, CFK announces that she will not run in 2023

ARGENTINA - In Brief 06 Dec 2022 by Esteban Fernández Medrano

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Today, the judges of the second federal oral court, found Cristina Fernández de Kirchner guilty of fraudulent administration in determent of the State. After three years of public trials, she received a 6-year prison sentence, in addition to a perpetual disqualification to exercise public office and a joint confiscation request of 86bn pesos (USD 270mn at the informal FX rate), along with other eight sentenced people. The court did not sentence anyone for “Illicit Association” and, in the case of CFK, reduced the 12 years prison time demanded by the prosecutor, by half. Despite this less severe ruling, it is still a strong blow to CFK's political image and additionally threatens to reopen other cases. For example, the accusation of money laundry, through the rental of hotels to public work constructors, such as Lazaro Baez. That case was on hold as there was no proof of previous fraudulent action, needed under Argentine law to justify a money laundry judgment. Now this sentence confirms the missing prerequisite which could allow the reopening of the above-mentioned case, where CFK´s son, Maximo, and daughter, Florencia, are also involved. “Attack is the best defense” Her defense throughout the case has always been accusing the judicial system of being impartial and corrupt, rather than providing evidence that the accusations of fraudulent administration in determent of the State were wrong. According to her, the reasons for the prosecution are her policies in favor of the people, against the rich and powerful. But this strategy seems to be mainly so, as it is difficult to explain how a former bank clerk of Santa Cruz, became in a brief time the main public-work constru...