Cristina Fernández: “case” sinks Kirchnerism in the face of the elections in Argentina

The result of the trial for the "Vialidad case" is crucial for the political future of Argentina. The former president accuses political persecution in the lawsuit, while the prosecution claims that the current vice president led a corruption network. As a final statement of the trial, Fernández was harsh on the court, calling it a "firing squad" . This has stirred the waters in the country, which has fully entered the presidential race that will lead to the 2023 general elections. In this race, the ruling party is dangerously sinking.

The "Vialidad case"

To understand the political climate in Argentina, we must talk about the "Vialidad case", which can be summed up in the complaint against Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, as well as the businessman Lázaro Báez and Julio De Vido, the former Minister of Public Works during the Fernández government. It is presumed that the current vice president led a corruption network that embezzled Argentine coffers for up to a billion dollars, according to the prosecutor in the case, Diego Luciani. The former president awarded fifty works to Lázaro Báez, a personal friend of the former president and husband of Cristina Fernández, Néstor Kirchner. Despite Báez's role as a businessman, his experience was not focused on public works, which is why the works at trial present technical problems, have not been completed or had an extra cost.

The works were carried out in the province of Santa Cruz, the stronghold of the Kirchners. The most important thing, in addition to the embezzlement and the denounced "uselessness" of the works, is the request of the prosecutor Luciani about the sentence that should weigh on the vice president: the disqualification for life from holding any public office and serving twelve years in prison . Permanent disbarment looks complicated. However, any number will be a heavy burden for Fernández, who is about to turn 70 years old, but at the same time it represents an advantage against his possible imprisonment.

Argentina Polarizes

In the end, who benefits from the entire political climate in Argentina is the opposition, which has raised its voice against the government. However, Fernández's experience has allowed her to survive in this climate, in which she not only faces the process of the "Vialidad case" but also 5 other trials. Her followers have openly shown their support. In one of them there was even an assassination attempt, by a person of Brazilian origin. This event has only intensified the demonstrations of support from her thousands of followers, according to Fernández, thus showing her political weight even with serious accusations.

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The Prelude to the 2023 Presidential Elections

The general elections in Argentina are "just around the corner". The Fernández duo (Alberto and Cristina) have negative numbers in Giacobbe's most recent poll, far from "Together for change", an opposition alliance headed by Patricia Bullrich, another experienced Argentine politician. Behind her is "La libertad avanza", an alliance headed by deputy Javier Milei, and up to third place are the representatives of Kirchnerism.

However, with the political skill and pragmatism of Cristina Fernández, nothing can be ruled out. Her first goal should be to qualify for the presidential runoff if she wants to retain power alongside Alberto Fernández. The main problem of both rulers is the negative image that weighs on their backs, the personality of Cristina Fernández and the polarization that it creates in the country. This, in turn, generates absolutes among the citizens who will elect a president in 2023.

Cristina, an "Old Sea Wolf"

Cristina Fernández has been in key decision-making positions in Argentina for more than two decades. In 2007, she became president, succeeding Néstor Kirchner, her husband. She was president for two continuous periods, a legislator and, since 2019, she has been vice president in the government of Alberto Fernández, her former chief of staff and who was critical of her. In this intelligent move, the vice president demonstrates her political ability, with which the so-called "Kirchnerism" was born, a current with which Cristina Fernández managed to remain in force in Argentine politics and protect herself from the serious accusations she has about corruption. This current is still valid in Argentina and, without a doubt, it will continue even when his political career ends.

Now, a few months before the presidential elections, she will have to weave new networks and reach great agreements that will allow her to survive again and better if she is in power, at least for her. At the moment, his main objective is to keep his political allies together with President Fernández, so that she can launch a competitive re-election campaign. Contrary to what happened in 2022 in Colombia and Brazil, it seems that the left represented by the Fernández family is at risk of falling and giving way to another skilled woman, Patricia Bullrich. She is the candidate of the Republican Proposal, former President Macri's party that is located in the center-right and right-wing sphere. The coalition that occupies the second place, "La libertad avanza" is located in the spectrum of the right and even the far right, a sample of the harsh context that Argentina is experiencing and that leaves Kirchnerism on the brink of the precipice.