The United States has prohibited former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and one of her ministers from entering the country due to allegations of corruption.

Fernandez de Kirchner served as President for two terms from 2007 to 2015 and also held office as Vice President under Milei’s predecessor, Alberto Fernandez. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the former President and the former Planning Minister Julio Miguel De Vido were involved in multiple bribery schemes involving public works contracts, resulting in millions of dollars embezzled from the Argentine government. Consequently, they, along with their immediate family members, are deemed ineligible for entry into the US under US law due to their credible involvement in significant corruption.

A fierce rival of libertarian President Javier Milei, who is an ally of former US President Donald Trump, Fernandez de Kirchner accuses Milei of being responsible for the decision made by the White House.

Despite facing mounting legal troubles, Fernandez de Kirchner remains influential in Argentine politics. She was found guilty in 2022 of awarding public contracts worth $1 billion without an open bidding process, and a court upheld her conviction in 2024, sentencing her to six years in prison and barring her from holding public office. The former President has appealed the ruling and taken the case to Argentina’s top court.

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Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-bans-ex-argentine-president-fernandez-de-kirchner-over-graft-allegations/a-72003820?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf