The Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber unanimously confirmed that Cristina Kirchner and other individuals convicted in the 'Vialidad' case will have to face a multimillion-dollar forfeiture
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Chamber IV of the Federal Criminal Cassation Court confirmed this Wednesday that former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and the other defendants convicted in the "Vialidad" case must jointly pay $684,990,350,139.86 as forfeiture. The ruling, adopted unanimously by judges Gustavo Hornos, Mariano Borinsky, and Diego Barroetaveña, validated both the amount and the updating methodology applied by the official experts.
The original amount had been set at $84.835 billion by Federal Oral Court No. 2, but was later updated to current values using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reaching almost $685 billion. The figure had already been confirmed by the Cassation Court and ratified in June by the Supreme Court, which gives the forfeiture the status of res judicata.
The defense's arguments and the judicial response
The lawyers for Fernández de Kirchner, Carlos Beraldi and Ary Llernovoy, challenged the decision by arguing that the right to defense was violated, that unequal treatment was imposed, and that the use of the CPI was arbitrary. They also criticized the fact that the calculation went from being "provisional" to definitive.
Vialidad: la Justicia confirmó que Cristina Kirchner deberá pagar $685.000 millones
However, the Cassation Court dismissed these arguments. Attorney General Mario Villar recalled in his opinion that the forfeiture constitutes an accessory penalty linked to the crime of fraudulent administration, and that "the commission of punishable acts must not be profitable for either the perpetrators or the participants."
The court based its decision on the official expert reports, which had suggested the application of the CPI. According to Villar, the ruling "presents a solid argument" and was debated at all judicial levels, including the Supreme Court.
A ruling that sets a precedent
Vialidad: la Justicia confirmó que Cristina Kirchner deberá pagar $685.000 millones
The contrast with the defense's estimate was striking: accounting expert José Lucas Gaincerain had calculated the amount at $42.494 billion, just 6% of the confirmed figure. The difference highlights the forcefulness of the judicial decision, which consolidates the validity of forfeiture as a tool to recover misappropriated public funds.
With this decision, the judiciary reaffirms that the Vialidad case, linked to the steering of public works in Santa Cruz over twelve years of Kirchnerist governments, has a final conviction both criminally and economically, reinforcing the principle that "those who commit the acts, pay for them."
