The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s conviction landed like a bombshell, even though the ruling had been expected. The verdict from Argentina’s top court shook the entire political system, but it also carries deeply personal consequences for the Kirchner family.
Beyond the former president herself, the two people most exposed are her children, Máximo Kirchner and Florencia Kirchner. With contrasting public profiles, both have remained active, visibly engaging with the fallout from their mother’s case.
Máximo, a national deputy and leader of the La Cámpora political youth organisation, has taken a public stand. Although he typically gives few interviews, the Buenos Aires Province Peronist stepped into the spotlight last week, becoming something of a stand-in “voice” for his mother amid the broader reorganisation of Peronism and its forces.
Within 48 hours of the ruling, he gave two interviews – one to the friendly news channel C5N and another to the streaming platform Gelatina.
“I hope they realise the abuse of power... that they weigh the consequences of this abuse,,” Kirchner warned during one of the interviews.
Máximo has remained close to his mother. On several occasions he visited her at her San Telmo residence at San José 1111. He was seen with her on the balcony as she greeted supporters one night.
Despite his renewed media visibility, Máximo has stayed politically active. He continues to work in tandem with the Tigre-born leader Sergio Massa, who lost the last presidential election to President Javier Milei. Last Thursday, the two met at the headquarters of the national Partido Justicialista (PJ) during a meeting of its party council.
They had already held a private meeting at Massa’s offices on Avenida del Libertador. From there, in separate cars, they travelled onto Matheu 130.
Máximo remains in regular contact with his closest allies. Though no formal meetings have been held due to time constraints, he is supported by figures such as Eduardo ‘Wado’ de Pedro, Quilmes Mayor Mayra Mendoza and Senator Mariano Recalde. Whether at party headquarters or at Cristina’s home in the south of the city, Máximo is always surrounded by a tight group of trusted leaders.
Florencia, for her part, lives in the same building as her mother, but on a different floor. Despite keeping a very low profile and holding no public office, she has not refrained from sharing messages on social media in support.
From her account, she posted a story taken from her mother’s balcony as Cristina danced and waved to a cheering crowd, with Máximo watching on in the background. She also posted pictures from her mother’s frequent meetings – including facetime with Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, and a visit from a group of leaders from the Madres de Plaza de Mayo human rights group.
Both Kirchner siblings are implicated in the so-called ‘Hotesur’ and ‘Los Sauces’ cases, which were reopened after the Supreme Court rejected Fernández de Kirchner’s final appeal. As a result, Federal Oral Court No. 5 has ordered new evidence to be gathered. Troubling times may lay ahead.
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