Cristina Kirchner receives a historic prison sentence in Argentina

A sensational event in Argentine political life: former President Cristina Kirchner, who ruled the country from 2007 to 2015, was convicted of corruption. On June 10, the Argentine Supreme Court found her guilty, sentenced her to 6 years in prison and banned her from holding public office for life. Now, Kirchner's political career is completely closed - she will not be able to run for parliamentary elections.

Currently, Cristina Kirchner is free, but after the court's decision, she is expected to be arrested until June 18. Her lawyers are demanding that she be allowed to serve her sentence at her home in Buenos Aires, given that she is over 70 years old. According to Argentine law, this right is granted to prisoners over 70. This privilege could also be applied to 72-year-old Kirchner.

The "Highway Case" against Kirchner began in 2008 with the petition of several opposition deputies. The investigation revealed that between 2003 and 2015, 80 percent of government tenders for road construction in the southern Argentine province of Santa Cruz were awarded to Austral Construcciones. The company won more than 50 projects, half of which were left unfinished. Most importantly, the company belonged to businessman Lázaro Baez, a friend of the Kirchner family. It turned out that budget funds were spent excessively and without control, and many roads were built only on paper.

During the trial, Cristina Kirchner called the case completely political and, trying to justify herself, denied the charges. However, the court noted that cases of corruption and conflict of interest had been identified and all the evidence had been collected. The Supreme Court's ruling came at the height of the national parliamentary election campaign. The voting process in Argentina is scheduled for October 2025, and Kirchner will no longer be able to participate in this process.

This incident caused heated debate and discontent in Argentine society. Immediately after the verdict was announced, thousands of supporters took to the streets in cities across the country to protest, calling the verdict political oppression and injustice. The current president, libertarian Javier Milley, who is in Israel, welcomed the news with joy, saying that “justice has been done.”

Cristina Kirchner was one of the most famous and controversial politicians in Argentine history. Her conviction for corruption is seen as a symbol of a major political purge and the beginning of a new political chapter in the country. The verdict will remain an important and instructive event in Argentine history.