CFK's supporters keep vigil over threat of prison

Hundreds of supporters of convicted former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner demonstrated Thursday outside the Supreme Court for upholding her six-year prison sentence and ban on holding public office.

Argentina's top court on Tuesday rejected the ex-president's appeal against her conviction over the awarding of public works contracts during her presidency. The decision rendered the conviction and sentence of the two-term ex-leader definitive.

Fernández de Kirchner, 72, has requested to serve her sentence at her home in Buenos Aires – an arrangement available to over-70s.

Her conviction has caused deep dismay and anger among supporters of the polarising politician who has led the Argentine left for the past two decades and is the leading opposition voice against President Javier Milei's "chainsaw" austerity measures.

Fernández de Kirchner and her supporters have accused the prosecution and judiciary of right-wing bias, pointing to evidence of close ties between some of the judges who convicted her in lower courts and one of her arch-foes, former centre-right president Mauricio Macri.

While waiting for the decision on her house arrest a large crowd of supporters have kept vigil outside her apartment building in Buenos Aires. She has emerged regularly to greet them from a second-floor balcony.

A separate group of students, trade unionists and Peronist supporters demonstrated outside the Supreme Court.

"I came because I felt the need to be there, to support her, to campaign, and to make some noise," said Camila Pereyra, 25, a photography directing student.

"This sets a precedent because democracy is under attack," said Franco Presas, a 21-year-old history student.

Argentines are divided on the fate of their 2007-2015 leader, who formed a political power couple with her late husband and presidential predecessor, Néstor Kirchner.

Milei's election in 2023 was seen as a widespread rejection of the Kirchners' big-spending, protectionist Peronist movement, which was accused of widespread corruption and economic mismanagement

"She has to go to jail," Ailen Lezcano, a 25-year-old administrative employee, said in downtown Buenos Aires on Thursday.

– TIMES/AFP