Politics and Judicial Power: Warnings from Brazil & Argentina
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
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
7:00PM to 8:30PM (EST)
Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Auditorium,
room N101 Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
66 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Presented by The Observatory on Latin America at The New School for Social Research.