Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva showed solidarity this Wednesday with Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Kirchner, who was convicted in her country in a corruption case.
“My solidarity with the Vice President of Argentina, @CFKArgentina. I saw your statement that you are a victim of ‘lawfare’ and we know very well here in Brazil how much this practice can harm democracy. I hope for an impartial and independent justice for all and by the people of Argentina”, wrote Lula da Silva on the social network Twitter.
My solidarity with the Vice President of Argentina, @CFKArgentina🇧🇷 I saw your statement that you are a victim of law enforcement and we know very well here in Brazil how much damage this practice can do to democracy. I support impartial and independent justice for all and for the people of Argentina.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) December 7, 2022
According to the future Brazilian president, Kirchner is a victim of “jurisdiction‘, an English term used to talk about the use of legal proceedings for political purposes, indirectly referring to the judicial convictions imposed against him in the context of the investigations of the Lava Jato operation and later by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) of Brazil.
Cristina Kirchner was convicted last Tuesday of fraud and corruption during her presidential term. The prosecution in Argentina had demanded 12 years in prison for Kirchner, who has always denied wrongdoing and denounced being the target of a “political” trial.
A three-judge panel found Kirchner guilty of fraud, but dismissed the charge of running a criminal organization, avoiding a more severe sentence.
It is the first time that an Argentine vice president has been convicted of a crime while in office.
The former president, who enjoys provisional immunity until December 2023 due to her position in the executive branch, has the right to appeal the verdict to the higher courts, a process that could take years.
The court also sentenced Lázaro Báez, former Minister of Public Works José López and former head of the National Directorate of Roads, Nelson Periotti, to six years in prison.
On the other hand, the court acquitted Julio De Vido, Argentina’s Minister of Planning between 2003 and 2015, Abel Fatala, former Secretary of State for Public Works of Argentina, and Héctor Garro, former President of the Provincial Road Service of Santa Cruz.
The Argentine Public Prosecution Service estimates the amount illegally collected by the network at 5,321 million pesos (about 31 million euros), which includes Cristina’s late husband, Néstor Kirchner, and former government members such as former minister Julio de Vido.
Source: DN
