An Argentine federal court ordered the seizure of nearly $500 million in assets linked to former president Cristina Kirchner, targeting more than 100 properties and holdings owned by Kirchner, two of her children and associates. The move follows a Supreme Court decision that upheld her conviction for awarding public-works contracts in Patagonia; she is serving a six-year sentence under house arrest with an electronic monitor. The forfeiture list includes a Santa Cruz property, 19 assets moved to her children and 84 assets tied to businessman Lázaro Báez. Kirchner faces a separate, large-scale graft trial while continuing to engage with allies from detention.
Argentine Court Orders Seizure of Nearly $500M in Assets Linked to Cristina Kirchner
An Argentine federal court ordered the seizure of nearly $500 million in assets linked to former president Cristina Kirchner, targeting more than 100 properties and holdings owned by Kirchner, two of her children and associates. The move follows a Supreme Court decision that upheld her conviction for awarding public-works contracts in Patagonia; she is serving a six-year sentence under house arrest with an electronic monitor. The forfeiture list includes a Santa Cruz property, 19 assets moved to her children and 84 assets tied to businessman Lázaro Báez. Kirchner faces a separate, large-scale graft trial while continuing to engage with allies from detention.
06:50 AM, 11/20/2025Politics
An Argentine federal court has ordered the seizure of nearly $500 million in assets connected to former president Cristina Kirchner and other beneficiaries of a corruption scheme for which she is serving a six-year sentence.
The ruling, issued late Tuesday, targets more than 100 assets — including real estate and other holdings — owned by Kirchner, two of her children and additional associates. The court said the forfeiture aims to "restore the illicitly obtained assets — and their derivatives — to the State" and to compensate society for the material and symbolic damage caused by the criminal conduct.
The list specifically includes a property Kirchner owns in Santa Cruz province and 19 assets that were transferred to her two children. It also names 84 assets belonging to businessman Lázaro Báez, who is serving a prison term for corruption tied to road contracts in Santa Cruz during the administrations of Kirchner and her late husband, Néstor Kirchner.
In June, Argentina's Supreme Court upheld Kirchner's conviction in a case accusing her of awarding public-works contracts in Patagonia in exchange for kickbacks. She was sentenced to six years, ordered to repay nearly $500 million, barred from holding public office for life and permitted to serve her sentence under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor.
Ongoing prosecutions and restrictions
Kirchner is also on trial in a separate, expansive graft case described by prosecutors as one of the largest corruption probes in Argentina's legal history, with more than 80 defendants. Because of the large number of accused and their legal teams, hearings in that case have been conducted by videoconference.
From the Buenos Aires apartment where she is under house arrest, Kirchner has continued to meet allied politicians, greet supporters from a balcony and criticize President Javier Milei's austerity measures. After a reported meeting with nine economists that had not been pre-approved, the court tightened visitation rules: visits are now limited to groups of up to three people, no more than twice weekly, and for no longer than two hours per visit.
"I am not afraid. I know that history, as always, will put things in their place," Kirchner wrote on social media, accusing political opponents of using the judiciary to try to end her career. "They can invent cases, manipulate judges, or write rulings, but they will not stop the organization of Peronism."
Kirchner's attorney did not respond to requests for comment.