In a major escalation, Argentina’s Supreme Court — a key pillar of the country’s neoliberal regime — has banned former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner from public office for life. But the implications go far beyond Kirchner: it sets a dangerous precedent that paves the way for deeper authoritarian attacks on workers, social movements, and democratic rights more broadly. 

The so-called Vialidad case was plagued with irregularities, including biased judges and prosecutors openly aligned with the Right, flimsy evidence, and procedural abuses. This was never about fighting corruption, but rather about eliminating a major political obstacle to the austerity agenda of Javier Milei and the interests of Argentina’s corporate elite. As the historic and undisputed leader of Peronism — the main opposition force — Kirchner’s proscription serves to discipline the entire political spectrum and prevent any form of resistance through the electoral path.

That is why the Revolutionary Left, particularly the Partido de los Trabajadores Socialistas (PTS) within the Left and Workers’ Front–Unity (FIT-U), has strongly denounced the ruling and called for a national mass mobilization to defeat it — independently of the Peronist leadership. This means rejecting slogans like “Argentina con Cristina” (“Argentina with Cristina”) and instead building a fighting alternative rooted in the working class, capable of confronting both the right-wing judiciary and the pro-austerity policies of Peronist governments.

The Ban Against Cristina Is a Reactionary Escalation

“This is an attack on democratic rights,” saidMyriam Bregman, socialist Congress woman and former presidential candidate for the FIT-U. “It’s the same judiciary that upholds impunity for genocide, protects corporate power, and now seeks to eliminate any obstacle to Milei’s austerity plans.”

Kirchner is a central figure of Argentininian politics. The court’s decision not only targets her as an individual — it’s an attack on the political will of millions who have supported her or looked to her as an alternative to the current government. The ruling also comes in the context of the Milei administration’s increasingly authoritarian shift — with full backing from Argentina’s economic elite and U.S. imperialist interests.

This was made clear in the June 12 meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina, where executives from corporations like JP Morgan, Techint, Pan American Energy, and Mercado Libre publicly expressed strong support for Milei and his “chainsaw” economic reforms.

The judiciary is playing a key role in facilitating these reforms by eliminating opposition. As a joint statement by the PTS-FITU declared: The Supreme Court acts as the legal arm of the business class. Banning Cristina today is not just about punishing past corruption — it’s about paving the way for deeper attacks on the working class.

Peronism’s Response: Electoral Strategy, Not Struggle

In response to the sentence, the Peronist movement organized a mass demonstration in Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires’s central square, on June 18. Kirchner sent two audio messages from her home, denouncing the ruling and affirming her commitment to “democracy” — but framing the response in terms of electoral strategy.

“We are going to come back, and this time with more wisdom, more unity, and more strength,” she said, echoing her famous campaign slogan from years past.

While the turnout was significant, the overall orientation of the Peronist leadership is to wait for the 2027 elections, banking on the possibility of Milei’s political and economic failure. In practice, this means allowing the government’s austerity agenda to continue unabated in the meantime, with devastating consequences for workers, the poor, women, the oppressed, and youth.

The Revolutionary Left Calls to Fight Now

In contrast, the PTS and FIT-U called for an independent bloc to mobilize on June 18. Bregman and fellow socialist congress members Nicolás del Caño and Christian Castillo gathered with thousands at the Obelisco in Buenos Aires before marching to Plaza de Mayo. They left before Kirchner’s speech to make clear their political independence from Peronism.

 “We reject the idea of postponing the fight until 2027. The ban must be defeated now, by the methods of mass mobilization and class struggle,” said Bregman.

The PTS and other independent organizations pointed out that the ban is part of a broader attack on democratic rights — including Decree 383/2025, issued just days before, which grants extraordinary new powers to the Federal Police. This decree authorizes warrantless surveillance, arbitrary detentions, and gives legal cover to arbitrary repression.

“Bullrich and Milei are creating a de facto state of exception,” Bregman warned. “They want to legalize practices that were already condemned in court — like illegal spying and violent repression. We must stop this authoritarian advance.”

Why the Ban Matters for the Entire Working Class

The FIT-U’s position is clear: defeating the ban is essential not to defend Cristina Kirchner, but to prevent a broader anti-democratic and anti-working-class offensive. As the PTS has argued, the same courts that protect economic elites are now criminalizing opposition — and will target workers, students, and social movements next.

“The real objective is to clear the way for the IMF’s austerity agenda. That’s why this must be confronted with the full force of the working class,” explained Castillo.

The ruling seeks to remove the main political rival of President Milei and the undisputed leader of Peronism from the electoral arena. But it also signals a broader authoritarian turn: an attack on democratic rights that opens the door for future repression against workers, the unemployed, and the masses. That is why the Revolutionary Left, particularly the PTS and FIT-U, has denounced the ruling and is calling for a national mass movement to defeat it.

This call is made from a position completely independent of the Peronist leadership. The FIT-U rejects slogans like “Argentina con Cristina” and instead calls for building a working-class movement that does not subordinate itself to those who are unwilling to confront the judiciary and the right. For the PTS-FIT-U, the fight against this attack is also a chance to advance class consciousness, deepen organizing capacity, and expose the limits of Peronism itself, which has consistently refused to mobilize its base to defeat the Right.

No Confidence in the Courts, No Trust in Peronism — Fight with the Working Class

The judicial ban against Kirchner reveals the true nature of Argentina’s political regime: a façade of democracy in service of corporate power and imperialism. But the answer is not to wait for the next election or to rely on moderate opposition leaders.

Instead, the Left must push forward an independent political strategy rooted in mass mobilization, democratic assemblies, and workers’ power. The time to fight is now.

“We cannot accept or normalize this profoundly anti-democratic attack,” Bregman said. “We can defeat this ban — with unity, clarity, and struggle.”