Former Argentine President Fernández to Stand Trial on Corruption Charges

An Argentine judge on Thursday ordered former President Alberto Fernández to stand trial on corruption charges related to insurance contracts signed during his 2019–2023 term.

Defense lawyer Mariana Barbitta confirmed to AFP that Judge Sebastián Casanello had formally referred Fernández to trial.

The 66-year-old former president is accused of “negotiations incompatible with public office” and administrative fraud for using intermediaries—one allegedly linked to his office—to arrange insurance contracts that could have been handled directly.

The central figure in the case is reportedly the husband of Fernández’s personal secretary.

Fernández, who did not seek re-election, handed over power in December 2023 to Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist.”

The corruption case surfaced when the court ordered the examination of the secretary’s phone during a separate investigation into domestic violence allegations made by Fernández’s former partner, Fabiola Yáñez.

Fernández also faces a separate trial on domestic violence charges.

The insurance contracts in question were handled by Nación Seguros, the insurance arm of the state-owned Banco Nación, which was selected to provide coverage for various government departments.

Judge Casanello ordered the freezing of approximately $10 million in Fernández’s assets as part of the case.