Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said she may seek the presidency in 2027 if she regains political rights stripped by her conviction, placing her political future on the outcome of her legal challenge.
In an interview published Nov. 2, she told The Washington Post, “When I recover my political rights, why not?” The Buenos Aires Times reported that it was her first interview with an international media outlet since her conviction.
An Argentine Supreme Court bulletin records a six-year prison sentence and permanent disqualification from public office in the Vialidad corruption case. The Washington Post reported that Fernández de Kirchner is serving the sentence under house arrest in her Buenos Aires apartment. The 73-year-old denies committing a crime and has described the case as politically motivated, the newspaper reported.
Fernández de Kirchner and lawyer Rafael Valim asked the United Nations Human Rights Committee to review the proceedings, alleging violations of due-process guarantees, The Washington Post reported. She is seeking to recover the political rights she says she needs to run for office.
She also pointed to her longtime ally, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula spent 580 days in prison, was released in 2019 and later had his convictions annulled before returning to office, The Washington Post reported. Fernández de Kirchner recounted Lula’s advice to her: “Exercise and don't get depressed.” The newspaper said Lula won re-election last month.
The interview also covered U.S. politics ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections. Fernández de Kirchner predicted President Donald Trump and Republicans would lose, arguing that Trump's support for right-wing leaders in Latin America could work against them, The Washington Post reported.
Argentina's next presidential election is due in 2027. The Buenos Aires Times reported Milei is expected to seek re-election. The contest also enters a Peronist leadership debate; an earlier EconoTimes report said Buenos Aires Province Gov. Axel Kicillof declined to discuss his presidential ambitions.
