The has barred former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and one of her ministers from entering the country over accusations of corruption.
Fernandez de Kirchner was in power for two terms between 2007 and 2015. She also served as vice president under Milei’s predecessor, Alberto Fernandez.
What did the US say about Fernandez de Kirchner’s ban?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Friday that Fernandez de Kirchner and former Planning Minister Julio Miguel De Vido “abused their positions by orchestrating and financially benefiting from multiple bribery schemes involving public works contracts” leading to “millions of dollars stolen from the Argentine government.”
Rubio said the ex-president and De Vido, along with their immediate family, had been designated as credibly involved in “significant corruption” under US law, making them ineligible for entry into the US.
Fernandez de Kirchner — the current president of Argentina’s Peronist opposition party — is a staunch rival of libertarian President , on of US President Donald Trump’s closest allies on the international stage.
The former president blamed Milei for the decision from the White House. “You left your prints all over this,” Fernandez de Kirchner said in a Facebook post, in reference to the current president.
Fernandez de Kirchner’s legal woes
Fernandez de Kirchner continues to have considerable political influence in Argentina but her popularity has been marred by mounting legal woes.
She was found guilty in 2022 by a three-judge panel of giving public contracts with a total worth of $1 billion of public funds to preferred contractors without an open bidding process. The case centered on her and her late husband Nestor Kirchner, who also served as president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007.
In 2024, a court for handing out state contracts to a friend, sentencing her to six years in jail and barring her from holding public office.
The former president, who is not in prison has appealed the ruling and taken the case to the country’s top court.
Edited by: Alex Berry
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