MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

CFK campaigns for the opposition from her house arrest

CFK highlighted the number of public universities opened during her tenure

Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK), currently under house arrest, has jumped again onto the political fray just days ahead of next Sunday's midterm elections in the province of Buenos Aires, a key district whose results may cascade upon other constituencies on Oct. 26.

CFK, who remains chairwoman of the Justicialist (Peronist) Party, sent a message of support for Florencia Lampreabe, a candidate for the Fuerza Patria party in the Hurlingham area. In her message, CFK highlighted the creation of 19 universities during her administration (2007-2015), including the one there. “During our administration, we created 19 universities. When we finished our term on December 9, 2015, every Argentine province had a university,” she said.

The National University of Hurlingham “allowed thousands of residents throughout the Buenos Aires suburbs to be the first generation of college students in their families,” she added.

The former head of state praised Lampreabe for her work on the front-of-package food labeling law and called on voters to support her and the Fuerza Patria front.

Meanwhile, Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof - one of the main contenders to lead the party following CFK's disenfranchisement - is closing the Fuerza Patria campaign with a series of events in Tigre, La Plata, Merlo, and Lomas de Zamora.

In his appearances, he urged voters to “put a stop to cruelty” and “protect workers, retirees, and all those who are suffering from the national government's policies” under President Javier Milei, whose muscle will be put to the test in the upcoming polls.

“In the face of adversity, democracy gives us a huge opportunity: one can get angry, but the best way to say no to Milei is this Sunday with the Fuerza Patria ballot,” Kicillof noted while warning that a poor performance for Milei's party could make him change his policies. If Milei “doesn't get the advantage he thought he would get,” he will have to “recalculate and backtrack on some measures,” the Governor insisted.

Kicillof described the government's economic management as “one disaster after another” and accused Milei of failing to deliver on his campaign promises. He also linked the current economic, financial, and institutional crises to the government's actions.

He also criticized Milei for allying with traditional political figures like the Macris and Menems, which - he claims - contradicts his “anti-caste” campaign message.

In addition, he accused Milei of governing “with decrees and vetoes” and turning his back on Parliament. He also claimed there was “fierce internal strife” and “different gangs of spies” within the ruling party.

Kicillof also dismissed allegations of fraud made by the government, comparing them to similar claims made by Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro.

In Kicillof's view, Milei's government has “lost all sense of limits and shame” and relies on “lies and deception” to distract from corruption scandals and economic failures. He also underscored that the Libertarian administration was playing the victim.