Cuban government expresses support for Cristina Fernández after her court sentence

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, reaffirmed his unwavering support for former Argentinian president Cristina Fernández this Tuesday, following her sentence to six years in prison and a lifelong ban from holding public office.

On the social media platform X, the president described the sanction as an episode of political judicialization and expressed his support for Fernández.

“Once again, the politically motivated justice system is being used as an instrument of the right against progressive leaders in the region,” the Cuban leader denounced on the platform.

For his part, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez emphasized in X that the conviction against the former president is a clear act of revenge and threat.  "We reiterate our support for the Argentine people in defense of sovereignty and dignity," he stated.

The ruling, signed by Supreme Court justices Ricardo Lorenzetti, Carlos Rosenkrantz, and Horacio Rosatti, immediately bans the former president from holding public office for life.  She will therefore be unable to run for deputy in the Buenos Aires Provincial Legislature, for which she has announced her candidacy in the local elections on September 7.

Because she is over 70 years old (she is 72), Cristina will be eligible for house arrest.

The confirmation of her sentence sparked protests throughout Argentina. Highways connecting to Buenos Aires, such as the one leading to the city of La Plata, were blocked.