Across Latin America, the courtroom has become a decisive arena of political competition, where the strategic use of criminal prosecution and judicial disqualification—often described as lawfare—can determine who is allowed to run for office, who can govern, and which political and economic projects remain possible. This panel examines Argentina and Brazil as two  cases that reveal a broader regional pattern, from Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s imprisonment and exclusion from Brazil’s 2018 presidential election to his eventual return to the presidency, to former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s conviction and house arrest in the Vialidad case.  By bringing these experiences into conversation, the panel asks what is lost when political leaders are removed from the electoral arena—not only a candidacy, but also an economic and political project and the possibility of an alternative national future.

Welcoming Remarks

Michael Cohen, Director, OLA, The New School

Speakers

Jorge Taiana, Former Foreign Minister of Argentina; National Deputy

Gisele Ricobon, International Affairs Advisor, ITAIPU Binacional

Delfina Rossi, Economist; M.P.Aff., University of Texas at Austin