Bangladesh, Nov. 7 -- A new chapter has opened in Argentinas long and turbulent battle against political corruption. On November 6, a federal court in Buenos Aires began hearings in what has been described as one of the countrys most extensive and politically explosive corruption trials in decades. Nearly 90 defendants – including former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner – now stand accused of running or participating in a vast bribery network tied to public works contracts during her presidency and that of her late husband, former President Néstor Kirchner.

The proceedings, known as the “Cuadernos de las Coimas” (Bribery Notebooks) case, derive their name from a series of eight handwritten notebo...