From the balcony of the Senate, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the current left-wing vice-president and former president of Argentina (2007-2015), exulted and sang the Peronist March, a political anthem, accompanied by her supporters, on Tuesday, August 23. While the scene had the appearance of a campaign rally, it nevertheless came at a rather difficult time for Ms. Kirchner, who is also president of the Senate. The day before, the prosecutor at her corruption trial in Buenos Aires had asked for a 12-year jail sentence with a life-long ban on holding public office.
Ms. Kirchner, 69, is charged with criminal conspiracy in connection with a public contract in the province of Santa Cruz (south), her political stronghold. Her trial, where 12 other people are also accused, began in 2019 but was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is one of many cases involving the vice-president, two of which ended in dismissals in 2021.
In court on Monday, prosecutor Diego Luciani denounced "a system of institutional corruption." He emphasized that "our society is fed up, fed up with the corruption of its leaders!" and sought to make "this serious case" a milestone in the political life of the country. This "should represent a turning point in corruption in public administration," he insisted. The next step is the closing argument by the defense, with a possible judgment at the end of 2022.
Contrasting reactions
The vice-president, who lambasted a "lack of evidence" by tweet, had already begun defending herself in a speech made at her Senate office and broadcasted by the country's media, which is closely following every development in the case. Lasting an hour and a half, Tuesday's speech sought to prove her innocence, presenting various documents – legal acts, decrees, press articles – which she claimed disposed of "the fiction" at the heart of the prosecution's case. "A scenario that's not only terrible but also false," she added.
In particular, she once again denounced the political persecution she feels she is a victim of, her central argument in the legal proceedings against her. "This trial isn't aimed at me, it's aimed at Peronism, at the popular national government." "They're asking for 12 years [in prison] for the 12 years of the best government Argentina has had in recent decades," she said, referring to the presidential terms of her husband Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007) and herself. "They're not after me, they're after you!" she proclaimed.
The day before, her followers had assembled near her home in the upscale Recoleta district of Buenos Aires to show their support, while her critics had welcomed the prosecutor's request for a 12-year sentence. These contrasting reactions reflect the passion that the former president arouses. "The vice-president can pound the table, threaten and insult, but this doesn't affect the value of independent judiciary in the eyes of the Argentinians," Patricia Bullrich, president of the right-wing party Pro, said in a tweet.
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