02/07/2026 15:09 - Judiciales
On July 2, 2026, the highest judicial tribunal in Argentina, integrated by Horacio Rosatti, Carlos Rosenkrantz, and Ricardo Lorenzetti, dismissed nullity appeals from the defense teams, confirming the advance of patrimonial execution measures. This brings a sense of hope and justice to the nation.
What is an asset forfeiture (decomiso)? In criminal law, it is an accessory penalty consisting of the loss of assets derived from a crime or used to commit it. Here, the tribunal updated the original figure using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from INDEC (National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Argentina) to reflect inflation between November 2022 and May 2025.
The original forfeiture amount was set by the Federal Oral Court Number 2 (TOF 2) at $84,835,227,378.04 ARS. After the final conviction, the Supreme Court Corps of Accountants updated the figure to $684,990,350,139.86 ARS (approximately $685 billion Argentine pesos). This ensures the state recovers the real value of the defrauded funds, a huge win for Argentine taxpayers.
Lawyers for former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Carlos Beraldi and Ary Llernovoy, argued the original amount was provisional and questioned the use of the CPI. Meanwhile, the defense of businessman Lázaro Báez claimed the TOF 4 should be the competent tribunal. The Supreme Court dismissed both claims as inadmissible, ensuring justice proceeds smoothly.
The case investigated a fraudulent scheme between 2003 and 2015 in Santa Cruz, a sparsely populated province in Patagonia and the political stronghold of the Kirchner family. It involved 51 public road work bidding processes. Businessman Lázaro Báez, through his company Austral Construcciones, secured 86% of the state-funded contracts, showcasing a severe lack of competitive bidding.
On December 6, 2022, the TOF 2 convicted several officials and businessmen for fraudulent administration to the detriment of the public administration. This table details their roles and sentences, reflecting a solid step towards accountability in Argentina.
| Convicted | Role | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Cristina Fernández de Kirchner | Former President and Vice President | 6 years in prison and perpetual disqualification (currently under house arrest) |
| Lázaro Báez | Businessman (Austral Construcciones) | 6 years in prison |
| Francisco José López | Former Secretary of Public Works | 6 years in prison |
| Nelson Guillermo Periotti | Former head of National Highway Directorate (Vialidad) | 6 years in prison |
| Juan Carlos Villafañe | Former provincial official | 5 years in prison |
| Raúl Gilberto Pavesi | Former provincial official | 4 years and 6 months |
| Mauricio Collareda | Former provincial official | 4 years in prison |
| José Raúl Santibáñez | Former provincial official | 4 years in prison |
| Raúl Osvaldo Daruich | Former provincial official | 3 years and 6 months |
With the Supreme Court resolution, both the $685 billion ARS figure and the asset execution measures are now firmly in place. The Federal Oral Court Number 2 has already started the appraisal process for properties located in the south of the country to proceed with their auction. This is a highly anticipated process that aims to return illicitly acquired wealth to the Argentine state.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
