The United States of America has banned former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and former federal planning minister Julio de Vido from entering its territory due to their "involvement in significant corruption cases."
The measure, known as a "public designation," is aimed at combating corruption, said US government officials.
The declaration – an unprecedented sanction for an Argentine former head of state, was pushed forward by the US State Department, led by Marco Rubio, in light of the duo’s convictions for corruption in the so-called ‘Causa Vialidad’ trial, which investigated kickbacks and bribery in the awarding of public works projects during Fernández de Kichner’s two terms in government (2007-2015).
"Today I announce the designation of Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (CFK), former president of Argentina, and Julio Miguel De Vido, former planning minister of Argentina, for their participation in significant corruption cases during their time in office," confirmed a statement from the US State Department.
“This action renders CFK, De Vido, and their immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” it added.
The restriction of visas for future visits to the United States, a prohibition which also extends to the accused’s immediate family members, had been the subject of speculation in recent days in local press outlets.
US President Donald Trump’s administration recently said it is "committed to ensuring accountability for corrupt officials around the world."
The direct consequence of the sanction is that Fernández de Kirchner, the president of the Partido Justicialista, the main party in the opposition Peronist coalition, and De Vido will not be able to enter the United States.
"CFK and De Vido abused their positions by orchestrating and financially benefitting from multiple bribery schemes involving public works contracts, resulting in millions of dollars stolen from the Argentine government. Multiple courts have convicted CFK and De Vido for corruption, undermining the Argentine people’s and investors’ confidence in Argentina’s future,” said the US government statement, which carried Rubio’s name.
The ruling does not take into account that the former president has only been sentenced to six years in prison in a second-instance ruling by an appeals court. Her sentence is not yet final and may be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Public designations, said the US State Department, not only promote accountability but also "expose corrupt actors through media attention."
Rubio, the head of US diplomacy, personally pushed for the move and is responsible for shaping Trump's foreign policy under the "America First" slogan and aligning with global conservatism, framed within the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
"America is committed to ensuring the accountability of corrupt officials worldwide," the Secretary of State posted on X, referring to the measure.
Domestically, the statement arrives off the back of a difficult week for Fernández de Kirchner. The president of the PJ suffered a fracture within the Unión por la Patria caucus in the Senate amid internal conflicts over the nomination of Judge Ariel Lijo. "Friendly fire" with Axel Kicillof in Buenos Aires Province was also reignited over the proposed suspension of the region’s PASO primaries.
Fernández de Kirchner has been positioning herself as a central opposition figure through repeated criticism of President Javier Milei ("Che, Milei" posts on social media).
Hours before the sanction from Washington was published, the former president had met with a lawmaker from Spain, who lodged a complaint with the National Court Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the consequences of the ‘$LIBRA’ cryptocurrency scandal that has shaken the Casa Rosada.
The meeting, which took place at the Instituto Patria, centred on the complaint about alleged fraudulent operations involving President Javier Milei and Hayden Mike Davis, CEO of Kelsier Ventures.
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