New trial against former president Kirchner begins in Argentina — Buenos Aires Times
In Argentina, Federal Oral Court No. 5 has begun a new corruption trial against former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, her son — lawmaker Máximo Kirchner — and other defendants. The case combines the Hotesur and Los Sauces proceedings, involving a total of 19 defendants, Buenos Aires Times reports.
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner joined the hearing via video link from her apartment in Buenos Aires. She is serving a six-year sentence there under house arrest in a separate case involving fraudulent administration in the allocation of state road construction contracts. This is her third corruption trial, while for Máximo Kirchner it is his first.
The essence of the charges
Prosecutors claim that funds allegedly diverted through state road construction contracts were returned to the Kirchner family through payments from businesspeople who received such contracts. According to the prosecution, the scheme operated from May 2003 to December 2016 and involved loans, real estate transactions, hotel rentals and improvements to the family’s hotel properties.
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Prosecutors describe Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as the alleged leader of a criminal association and her son as one of its organizers. They could face up to 10 years in prison. Other defendants include businesspeople Lázaro Báez, Cristóbal López and Fabián de Sousa, who are also considered organizers of the alleged scheme.
Course of the hearings
The first hearing lasted nearly three hours and was mainly devoted to reading part of the indictment. The hearings are set to continue on Monday, October 26. One of the lawyers said that the merger of the cases had left the defense with insufficient time to prepare, as the Hotesur trial had initially been scheduled to begin in March 2027.
Judge José Michilini said the court would first read the charges in the Los Sauces case to give the defense the necessary time and would then proceed with the Hotesur case. Lawyers for Cristina and Máximo Kirchner reject the accusations, saying that all business transactions were lawful, conducted through the banking system and declared to tax authorities. Both were acquitted in 2021, but a higher court overturned that decision in 2023.
