US imposes travel ban on former Argentine president over corruption charges

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The State Department has banned former Argentine President Cristina Fernández from entering the United States, accusing her of involvement in “significant corruption” while in office.

The State Department also banned Fernández’ planning minister Julio Miguel De Vido and their families.

Kirchner and De Vido “abused their positions by orchestrating and financially benefiting from multiple bribery schemes involving public works contracts, resulting in millions of dollars stolen from the Argentine government,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released Friday.

He noted that multiple courts had convicted the pair on corruption charges.

Fernández has been a dominant political leader in recent years in the South American country.

“The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain,” Rubio said. “These designations reaffirm our commitment to counter global corruption, including at the highest levels of government.”

In November, a tribunal in Argentina upheld a six-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban from holding public office against Fernández.

The former President was convicted and sentenced in 2022 by a three-judge panel for a fraud scheme that embezzled millions of dollars through public works projects during her presidency. She appealed, but the higher tribunal ratified the original ruling.

Fernández has denied all the accusations and is not in prison.