Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Kirchner expropriated the 51% of YPF held by Repsol in 2012, triggering a dispute with Spain and years of litigation. Argentina settled Repsol's claim and subsequently faced separate shareholder litigation in the United States.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

In December 2024, the Supreme Court rejected appeals seeking to prevent Kirchner's trial for cover-up and abuse of authority in the Iran memorandum case. In April 2026, TOF 8 rejected further nullity applications, and the case was ready for a trial date to be set.

Attribution

Accused

Kirchner, her son Máximo and other defendants are due to stand trial over an alleged money laundering scheme involving hotel and property companies linked to the family. An earlier case dismissal (non-lieu) was overturned; the Supreme Court allowed the reopening to stand.

Attribution

Accused

Kirchner is standing trial alongside numerous former officials and businesspeople in the so-called Cuadernos case, in which prosecutors attribute to her the role of leader of a criminal association and a system for collecting bribes linked to public contracts. The trial began on 6 November 2025.

Attribution

Accused

A man pointed a loaded gun a few centimetres from Kirchner's head and pulled the trigger, but the weapon did not fire. In October 2025, Fernando Sabag Montiel was sentenced to ten years and Brenda Uliarte to eight years for attempted murder; Nicolás Carrizo was acquitted.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

In January 2015, prosecutor Alberto Nisman accused Kirchner and other officials of seeking to cover up for Iranian suspects in the AMIA case. The complaint was initially dismissed for insufficient evidence, but the case was revived years later and referred for an oral trial.

State of the evidence

Alleged

Kirchner had been prosecuted over dollar futures contracts sold by the Central Bank at the end of her term. Following several years of proceedings, the Supreme Court allowed the dismissal of her case (non-lieu) to become final in December 2024.

State of the evidence

Documented

Course of the proceedings

1. Formally charged — Formal charge before the current outcome

Under the Kirchner governments, INDEC's credibility was strongly challenged. The IMF ultimately found Argentina in breach of its obligations to provide reliable CPI and GDP data and issued a declaration of censure against it in 2013.

State of the evidence

Documented

Her government introduced increasing restrictions on foreign currency purchases and capital transfers to preserve reserves. A large parallel market developed, with a substantial gap between official and informal exchange rates.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Kirchner government signed a memorandum with Iran providing for a truth commission and questioning mechanisms concerning the AMIA bombing. The agreement prompted intense opposition and never entered into force; Argentine courts declared it unconstitutional.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The 2009 audiovisual law restricted concentration of broadcasting licences and triggered a prolonged confrontation with Grupo Clarín. The group maintained that the reform was intended to punish a critical media outlet; the government presented it as an anti-monopoly measure.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Courts ordered the government to correct its allocation of public advertising to critical media outlets, while press organisations and international reports denounced the use of regulatory or advertising resources that could disadvantage certain media organisations.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

Following failed negotiations with creditors who had rejected the debt restructurings, Argentina entered selective default in July 2014. Kirchner refused to pay the holdouts on their terms, denouncing "vulture funds".

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Kirchner promoted a reform described as the "democratisation of justice", particularly the popular election of members of the Judicial Council. The Supreme Court invalidated the central provisions by six votes to one.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Kirchner attempted to use several billion dollars of Central Bank reserves for debt servicing and dismissed its president Martín Redrado when he opposed the move. Judges suspended the operation and reinstated Redrado, finding that Congress had to be involved in his removal.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following the seizure in Buenos Aires of a suitcase containing nearly 800 000 dollars carried by Guido Antonini Wilson, US prosecutors maintained that the money was intended for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's presidential campaign.

The sliding-scale increase in agricultural export taxes triggered months of strikes, roadblocks and shortages. Following intense nationwide polarisation, the Senate rejected the measure after a 36-36 tie, with Vice-President Julio Cobos casting the deciding vote against the government.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility