MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

6-year prison sentence against CFK upheld

CFK was acquitted of illicit association but the prosecution will appeal the ruling

A federal court of appeals in the City of Buenos Aires Wednesday unanimously upheld the six-year prison sentence on former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK), who had been found guilty in December, 2022, of fraudulent administration in the so-called Vialidad Nacional case. She was also disenfranchised for life from public office. The scandal involved numerous public works in the province of Santa Cruz awarded to businessman Lázaro Báez in fudgy dealings.

 Justices Mariano Borinsky and Diego Barroetaveña concurred on the verdict, while Justice Gustavo Hornos went even farther and also voted in favor of adding the illicit association charges as requested by the prosecution, although the initiative failed to pull through.

Also convicted Wednesday were Báez and former Public Works Secretary José López, as well as then- National Roads Department Chief Nelson Periotti, while the acquittals of then Federal Planning Minister Julio De Vido, former Public Works Undersecretary Abel Fatala were also ratified, as well as those of other defendants. In some cases, the statute of limitations applied.

The 1,600-page ruling listed numerous irregularities in 51 bidding processes for road works in Santa Cruz between 2003 and 2015, during which time companies linked to Báez systematically ended up wining over the contracts from the Santa Cruz General Administration of Provincial Roads of Santa Cruz, acting under a mandate from the National Roads Authority (Vialidad Nacional), which was also involved directly in some of the dealings. Decree 54/09, signed by CFK, allowed Vialidad Nacional to directly finance these works.

Wednesday's decision did not exhaust the chain of appeals, since filings can still be made before the Supreme Court (CSJN). Prosecutor Mario Villar already announced that he would appeal CFK's acquittal on the illicit association charges.

Upon hearing the news, CFK, who was at an event in Moreno, on the CABA outskirts, claimed the ruling was linked to her gender: “When you are a woman everything is made 20 times more difficult for you. And if they punish me for something, it is not only because of everything I did, but because I am a woman and they can't stand arguing with a woman and not being right. Since they can't give me a punch, they do the things they do today,” she argued.

“It doesn't matter what happens, girls. In view of what thousands and thousands of women have had to endure in horrendous conditions, I don't see this as a sacrifice, but almost as an obligation of someone who has a project for a country and a model of society. I thank all of you,” she added. 

Meanwhile, President Javier Milei seized the opportunity to point out on social media that now “we can state without any doubt that she is guilty of acts of corruption.”