La Primera Piedra 2018 [updated] -

In an era of populism, both left and right, the "first stone" has become the symbol of the accused. Every politician now claims to be the victim of the first stone. Few are willing to admit they deserve to be stoned. As of 2025, the actual physical stone laid in Río Gallegos in 2018 has likely been removed, stolen, or destroyed—a fitting end for a monument to hypocrisy. But the digital stone—the meme, the news clip, the courtroom transcript—remains immovable.

On paper, it was a standard political event: a podium, a microphone, a block of cement, and a plaque. Fernández de Kirchner, flanked by loyal militants, delivered a fiery speech defending her administration’s legacy, attacking the "judicial mafia," and accusing the media of fabricating the corruption notebooks. la primera piedra 2018

The event in question refers to a specific, infamous act of political corruption uncovered in Argentina, though its reverberations were felt from Madrid to Mexico City. The year 2018 became the annus horribilis for the "Notebooks Scandal" ( Causa de los Cuadernos ), which detailed a vast network of bribery involving former high-ranking officials and business leaders during the administrations of Néstor and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2003–2015). In an era of populism, both left and