Argentina
Justice sets two separate trials in Los Sauces and Hotesur against Cristina Kirchner
The Oral Federal Court 5 set the Los Sauces trial to begin on October 23 and Hotesur to start on March 19, 2027. Among the defendants are also Máximo Kirchner, Lázaro Báez and Cristóbal López.
The Oral Federal Court 5 decided to split the Los Sauces and Hotesur cases into two separate trials. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Máximo Kirchner, Lázaro Báez and Cristóbal López, among others, are charged in the cases. According to coinciding reports by La Nación, Crónica and Clarín, the trial over Los Sauces will begin on Friday, October 23 at 10 a.m., while the Hotesur trial was set for Friday, March 19, 2027, also at 10 a.m.
According to those outlets, judges José Michilini, Adriana Palliotti and Fernando Machado Pelloni concluded that two successive proceedings were appropriate instead of consolidating both case files. The decision was made after the cases, which had been joined because of their connection, were reconsidered in light of their differences in companies, assets, sources of funds and evidence.
Crónica and Clarín said the court held that a single trial could last more than two years and affect the speed of the proceedings. Both outlets also reported that each case file has nearly 200 of its own witnesses and that the lists overlap by just over 20 people.
According to La Nación, the prosecution argues that Cristina Kirchner was part of a criminal association and that funds from corruption would have been laundered through transfers to companies of the Kirchner family made by businessmen benefited by public funds. That outlet added that the prosecutor in both cases is Diego Velasco, who will bring charges for criminal association and money laundering.
On the substance of each case file, La Nación said that Los Sauces investigates an alleged laundering scheme through the rental of Kirchner properties to Báez and López. Crónica specified that the accusation links that case to rental contracts and real estate and hotel transactions. As for Hotesur, La Nación reported that the focus is on the booking of hotel rooms by Báez companies from the Kirchners, while Crónica and Clarín said it examines an alleged laundering scheme tied to funds associated with road public works in Santa Cruz.
Crónica and Clarín added that the Los Sauces trial will be held in person and will have three hearings a week. They also reported that the court left open, if necessary, Saturday, October 24 and 31, as well as days during the January 2027 judicial recess, to ensure the continuity of the trial.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
