Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was admitted to Buenos Aires' Otamendi Sanatorium on Saturday for severe abdominal pain and successfully underwent appendicitis surgery. She will spend the night under observation, according to close sources. Kirchnerist militants are holding a vigil outside the facility in support of her health.
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, serving house arrest for a six-year sentence in the Vialidad case, experienced severe abdominal pain on the afternoon of Saturday, December 20, 2025. With judicial authorization, she was transferred from her apartment at San José 1111 to Otamendi Sanatorium, where doctors assessed her condition and determined the need for appendicitis surgery.
The operation was successful around 9:30 p.m., and although no official medical report has been issued, close sources confirmed the procedure went well. The former president will spend the night under observation for post-surgical monitoring. Such cases, when treated promptly, typically allow for quick recovery.
Gregorio Dalbón, one of her lawyers, stated on X: "Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was transferred, after due judicial authorization, to Otamendi Sanatorium. Presenting an abdominal ailment, doctors attended her home and, after a thorough evaluation, determined that a more exhaustive assessment was necessary at said sanatorium. Any updates will be communicated through the institution's medical reports."
Meanwhile, Kirchnerist militants gathered outside the sanatorium with signs demanding her freedom and the slogan "You'll never walk alone." Leaders such as Quilmes Mayor Mayra Mendoza and former Human Rights Secretary Horacio Pietragalla visited to inquire about her condition.
Kirchner, barred from public office but active on social media criticizing Javier Milei's government, has faced prior health issues: in 2012, thyroid tumor removal; in 2013, subdural hematoma drainage; and in 2021, a hysterectomy at the same Otamendi.
