Javier Milei’s government announced this Thursday (14) that it will cancel the former president’s retirement and Cristina Kirchner’s widow’s pension. The announcement was made one day after the Argentine court ratified, in the second instance, the Peronist leader’s 6-year prison sentence for corruption.
“The retirement of former presidents is a privilege that should not exist in Argentina, especially if those who receive it are condemned for defrauding, in the highest spheres of power, millions of Argentines who saw their hopes vanish at the hands of politics,” he said. Casa Rosada spokesman Manuel Adorni.
According to him, the country’s National Social Security Administration (Anses) canceled the two benefits that were intended for the former president, which total 21.8 million Argentine pesos, the equivalent of around 126 thousand reais.
Adorni also said that Kirchner “tainted the honor and dignity of Argentines”, when these “privileges” are granted to presidents and vice-presidents in an “exceptional and extraordinary way as a consideration for honor, merit and good performance in office”.
According to the spokesperson, the former president will be able to continue to receive retirement and a pension, but in accordance with her social security contributions, and not what she described as “additional privileges”.
This Wednesday (13), the Argentine Criminal Cassation Chamber convicted Cristina Kirchner of “fraudulent administration”, for alleged favoritism of businesspeople and overpricing in the bidding for 51 road works in the province of Santa Cruz, birthplace of the late former president Néstor Kirchner.
The former president denies having responsibility in the case and claims to be a victim of judicial persecution. Adorni stated, however, that the former president’s conviction “represents the opposite of honor, merit and good performance”.
On the social network X, Cristina Kirchner harshly criticized the government’s decision to withdraw her retirement. “He was the only one missing, Milei,” wrote the former president, stating that in addition to commanding the Executive branch, the libertarian “wants to create and preside over a ‘Court of Honor’ to judge honor, merit and good performance in the position” of the country’s former presidents.
“You are so out of line that the little dictator you always had inside is emerging,” wrote Kirchner. “Do you want to associate with the judicial mafia to persecute me too? Are you so afraid of me?”, he expressed, stating that the current president causes him “other people’s pity and shame”.
The Peronist leader also stated that the pension of former presidents is not granted for good performance, but “for the merit of having been elected by the people as president of the Nation”. “A president’s poor performance can only be judged by the Nation’s Congress through the constitutional process of Political Judgment, during the term of office”, he expressed.
Argentine legislation establishes that the president, vice-president and judges of the country’s Supreme Court are entitled to monthly remunerations for life from the end of their duties, after reaching 65 years of age or having made 20 years of contributions.
The remuneration of former presidents, according to legislation, is the same as that of Supreme Court judges, and in the event of death, 75% of this remuneration will be given to the widow or widower.
By law, the benefit is only suspended if there is a political judgment or if the president or vice president are removed from their positions due to poor performance of their duties.
This content was originally published in Milei cancels Cristina Kirchner’s retirement and widow’s pension on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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