VP candidate

CFK granted permission to visit daughter in Cuba

Federal court allows candidate for vice-president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, can travel to Cuba to visit her daughter Florencia.

Former president and Senator for Buenos Aires province, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Foto: AFP/EITAN ABRAMOVICH

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will travel to Cuba just days after final candidacies for the 2019 election are lodged with the Argentine electoral college.

The candidate for vice-president alongside presidential hopeful Alberto Fernández was on Wednesday granted permission by a federal court to make the trip to Cuba, where her daughter Florencia is receiving medical treatment.

Cristina will also celebrate Florencia's birthday with her in Havana.

The trip had been blocked by a prosecutor investigating her for alleged corruption. It was the second time prosecutor Diego Luciani has denied a request of this nature in the so-called “Obra Pública”, or Public Works, trial; and the second time Second Federal Oral Court (TOF 2) had overruled him.

The former head of state is accused of having favoured businessman Lazaro Báez in the attribution of 52 public works contracts worth 46 billion pesos (US$1.2 billion) during the 2007-15 period when she was president.

She had requested to travel to La Habana, Cuba, from July 2 to 10. Fernández de Kirchner is accused of a number of crimes including bribery and money laundering.

-TIMES/PERFIL