BUENOS AIRES — A powerful federal judge in Argentina who handled a series of corruption cases against Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner died early Tuesday morning, injecting uncertainty into the country’s most politically-fraught prosecution. Judges in Argentina play a critical role in investigating accusations, giving them the sort of power prosecutors wield in the United States. Judge Bonadio had worked on cases against Mrs. Kirchner and people close to her with unusual zeal, and it was uncertain whether many of his cases would be pursued at a time when her political power is on the rise. In the hours after his death, the phrase “divine justice” was trending on Twitter in Argentina as allies of Mrs. Kirchner, who was president from 2007 to 2015, criticized the judge. Her political opponents, meanwhile, flooded social media timelines with praise for the judge, who was on the bench for 26 years.

Source: New York Times February 04, 2020 22:18 UTC