17/06/2026 09:30 - Politica
Vista de la fachada de un edificio de estilo francés en Buenos Aires con personas reunidas en la vereda mostrando apoyo con banderas argentinas y carteles, iluminación de atardecer
On June 17, 2026, exactly one year has passed since Argentina's Supreme Court confirmed the sentence of six years of house arrest and lifetime political disqualification against former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Since then, the 73-year-old leader has resided on the second floor of San José 1111, in the Constitución neighborhood of Buenos Aires, under conditions her allies consider the most restrictive in the country for any detainee in that category.
According to a report from the Council of the Magistracy regarding 2,513 detainees under house arrest in Argentina, only 1.8% face restrictions on visits, while 45% are authorized for outings. The former president falls within that tiny percentage subject to harsher conditions.
| Aspect | Condition |
|---|---|
| Electronic ankle monitor | Mandatory |
| Weekly visits | Maximum 2 groups of 3 people |
| Visit duration | Maximum 2 hours |
| Balcony access | Authorized "with caution" |
| Rooftop access | 2 hours daily |
Source: Report by Peronist legislators before the Council of the Magistracy
The tribunal found she harmed the Argentine state by irregularly awarding approximately 50 public works contracts to businessman Lázaro Báez in Santa Cruz province, the birthplace of Kirchnerism. According to the ruling, there were no direct pieces of evidence, only "circumstantial evidence" based on secondary and contextual aspects.
Senator Anabel Fernández Sagasti denounced that "there is cruelty and hatred toward her person from the Judiciary, which has sought to politically discipline her."
Among the measures that allegedly motivated the conviction, according to her inner circle: the expropriation of YPF (Argentina's state oil company), the nationalization of Aerolíneas Argentinas, and the state takeover of private pension funds.
Kirchner copes with confinement through a demanding routine: strength exercises, treadmill walking, and healthy eating. Visitors notice the changes: "Physically she looks like Cristina's daughter," described Congressman Eduardo Valdés. Former Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa, who visited on May 29, 2026, agreed: "I found her steadfast in her determination and very lean physically. Lucid, sharp, eloquent; the same as always."
Only authorized outings:
When her son Máximo underwent surgery in May 2026, she chose not to visit him to avoid a "media circus."
The former president reads voraciously and is a fan of Game of Thrones. Her favorite character is Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons: a leader who, after falling into captivity, returns fiercer in her struggle for power.
Recent books:
Despite confinement, she maintains political influence: she communicates by phone with congressional bloc leaders and thoroughly reviews all documents her lawyers prepare.
Positive Image (Haime)
42.7%
Negative Image
56.4%
Source: Hugo Haime & Asociados Consulting
On the anniversary of her conviction, more than a hundred vehicles participated in a caravan called "Quilmes con Cristina" that departed from the Bernal Triangle to the former president's home.
Provincial Deputy Mayra Mendoza led the mobilization and declared: "A Free Cristina is the only way to stop Milei. There will be no Peronist government in Argentina without Cristina in freedom."
The legislator asserted that the former president "is innocent" and that her conviction "is illegal," adding that she is "kidnapped by the judicial party, a group of men who form a mafia court."
Activities performed: video mapping on the building facade, live bands, murgas (street theater groups), and cultural expressions.
The movement's central line is to defend her innocence and keep alive the possibility of a candidacy in the 2027 presidential elections. However, Peronism remains divided between the sector loyal to Kirchner and the one promoting Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof.
"Clearly the main objective is to win the elections and then it will be much easier to have a fair trial, review the conviction, and achieve Cristina's freedom" — Senator Anabel Fernández Sagasti.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
