Argentina’s former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was placed under house arrest on Tuesday after the country’s Supreme Court upheld her six-year prison sentence for corruption. The 72-year-old political heavyweight was convicted in 2022 for fraudulent public works contracts in Patagonia that allegedly benefited a close ally during her presidency from 2007 to 2015.
Due to her age, a judge granted Kirchner's request to serve her sentence at her Buenos Aires home with an electronic ankle monitor. She is required to stay indoors, with exceptions only for court-approved reasons, and must submit a list of approved household members and medical staff within 48 working hours. All other visitors must be cleared by the court.
Kirchner, also a former vice president, senator, and first lady, has denied wrongdoing and claims the charges are politically motivated. The Supreme Court ruling also bans her for life from holding public office, effectively ending the political career of one of Argentina’s most influential figures.
Supporters rallied outside her residence following the announcement, waving banners of Eva Peron and chanting slogans. “We’ll fight with everything for her freedom,” said Manuel Ortiz, a loyal Peronist. Kirchner continues to command a strong base among working-class Argentines who benefited from her welfare policies and subsidies during her administration and that of her late husband, Nestor Kirchner.
Her popularity has declined in recent years, especially during her 2019–2023 vice presidency under Alberto Fernandez, whose government faced soaring inflation and economic instability.
Kirchner joins a list of Argentine leaders convicted of corruption, including former President Carlos Menem, who avoided jail due to his senatorial immunity.
Despite the legal defeat, Kirchner remains a symbolic figure within Argentina’s fractured Peronist movement.