OAN Staff Avril Elfie
4:00 PM – Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Argentina's Federal Court of Cassation has upheld the conviction of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in connection with a fraud case.
advertisement
Kirchner, who served two terms as president from 2007 to 2015 and most recently vice president from 2019 to 2023, was convicted of state fraud and sentenced to prison in December 2022. Sentenced to 6 years.
However, the Supreme Court is still accepting appeals in this case.
During his time as president, Kirchner was accused of corruption in the distribution of public service awards.
In 2022, she was found guilty for the first time and sentenced to six years in prison and permanently banned from public office. According to the court, she arranged for 51 public works contracts in Santa Cruz state to be awarded to the business of her personal friend Lazaro Báez.
Kirchner on Wednesday tried to argue that the court's decision to carry out her sentence was punishment for being a woman.
“Being a woman makes everything 20 times harder. If they punish me for something, it's not just for everything I've done, but also because I'm a woman. They argue with women. I can't bear to do it and prove that I'm right,'' Kirchner said at a rally in the town of Moreno, Argentina-based news outlets reported. EFE.
She has also historically clashed with Argentina's liberal president, Javier Millay, who happens to be an ardent Donald Trump supporter. She said the Millais government's management of the economy had caused a “severe drop” in economic activity, making Argentina more expensive in dollar terms than other developing countries.
Meanwhile, Millais happily reacted to the news that Kirchner's fraud conviction had been upheld.
“Today (under this administration) the Argentine judiciary confirmed the sentence and permanent disqualification from public office of the former president. Today we confirm without any doubt that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is guilty of corrupt practices. I can say that,” Millais said.
On Wednesday, Judge Gustavo Hornos declared that his colleagues Mariano Bolinski and Diego Baloetaveña had reached a unanimous verdict. Mr. Kirchner did not attend.
Kirchner explained his claim of innocence in a five-page document, arguing that as president he failed to carry out the wrongful handling of road construction contracts for which he was convicted and sentenced.
“Funding for these works was included in the state budget and approved by Congress. They were then awarded, executed and paid for by the Santa Cruz state government,” her statement said. It's dark. Kirchner also said that all expenses were approved by the state Comptroller's Office and the Legislature, and that his chief of staff, who is “constitutionally responsible for budget execution,” had never been charged with this crime. .
“There is no salvation from ridicule,” she added.
She went on to accuse judges and prosecutors of trying to remove her from electoral politics by banning her from holding public office for life.
Kirchner also suffered an assassination attempt in 2022, sparking widespread protests in her honor.
Kirchner was named leader of the Peronist opposition Justice Party earlier this year after former president Alberto Fernández was removed from party office over allegations of abusing his wife. Kirchner was vice president at the time.
Argentina will hold parliamentary elections in 2025, but Kirchner's political future could be further complicated by the passage of a law banning people convicted of corruption from holding public office.
Stay informed. Receive breaking news directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement below
Please share this post!
