Argentina鈥檚 win for clean governance
Nearly a quarter century ago, Argentina became famous for the world鈥檚 biggest debt default in history. A string of populist governments had overspent, while endemic corruption had cut tax revenues. On Tuesday, the second-largest country in Latin America became famous for something else.
In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a six-year sentence for a former president, Cristina Fern谩ndez de Kirchner, affirming her conviction for fraud on public contracts during her presidency from 2007 to 2015. The court said it acted to 鈥減rotect our republican and democratic system.鈥� The decision marks another corner-turning moment for a nation witnessing rapid reforms under the latest president, Javier Milei.
His reforms since late 2023, such as cutting the number of ministries in half, have eliminated many incentives for corruption. Under a new 鈥渁nti-mafia law,鈥� he has launched a crackdown on organized crime. In December, a Gallup poll found Argentines have 鈥渞egained a large amount of lost confidence in their government.鈥� The World Bank predicts the country鈥檚 economy will grow this year at a rate more than double the average for Latin America.
Argentina has a history of leaders using lawsuits for corruption as political weapons against rivals 鈥� a practice known as 鈥渓awfare.鈥�. Between 1996 and 2016, barely 1% of cases for corruption ended in a conviction. Yet the evidence against Ms. Kirchner was strong.
In a region where convictions of former presidents for corruption remain rare, her legal downfall sets a precedent for honest governance and political accountability. Mr. Milei鈥檚 reaction to the court ruling on social media summed up the significance: 鈥淛ustice. Period.鈥�
