Cristina Fernandez’s Prison Sentence Is a Political Maneuver: Lula Institute

On Thursday, the Lula Institute issued a statement condemning the six-year prison sentence handed down to former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner, calling the court ruling a political maneuver aimed at harming progressive forces in Argentina and across Latin America.

Founded by Workers’ Party leader Lula da Silva, the Brazilian nongovernmental organization is dedicated to promoting social inclusion and political engagement, particularly among marginalized communities. Its full statement is as follows:

“The Lula Institute expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the imprisonment of Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner, in a context that reveals serious violations of fundamental rights and due process.

The so-called ‘Viality Case,’ a prosecution driven by the government of former President Mauricio Macri, raises alarming concerns about the impartiality of Argentina’s judicial system. The lack of evidence and the presence of signs of bias and arbitrariness in the trial undermine the legitimacy of the ruling.

It is unacceptable that an innocent person be convicted in a process that appears more like a political maneuver than a genuine pursuit of justice.

The text reads, “The Mayo Square grandmothers repudiate the sentence to Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner as an attack on democracy and as a political persecution to deprive the citizens of the most important figure, after years of stigmatization and inhumanization.”

The construction of legal theories aimed at holding Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner responsible for the actions of her subordinates—under a questionable interpretation of administrative law—represents a dangerous setback for the separation of powers and the rule of law.

This practice not only affects the former president but also casts a shadow over the functioning of democracy in Argentina, threatening the balance of powers and democracy itself.

The Lula Institute joins the Puebla Group and the Latin American Council for Justice and Democracy (CLAJUD) in warning the international community about ongoing attempts to silence political voices and delegitimize leaders who seek to promote justice and social equality.

Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner’s conviction is not merely a domestic issue in Argentina—it serves as a warning to all countries in the region about the threats facing democracy and the rule of law.

We demand that the principles of due process be upheld and that justice prevail, ensuring that politics is not used as a weapon of persecution. We stand in solidarity with former President Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner and with all those who fight for justice and democracy in Latin America.”