Trial opens with attempted assassination of Argentinian Kirchner

A man went on trial in Argentina on Wednesday, two years after he held a gun inches from then-Vice President Cristina Kirchner’s face and pulled the trigger.

The loaded gun did not fire, saving Argentina from the chaos that would have followed the assassination of one of its most prominent political figures.

The would-be shooter, Fernando Sabag Montiel, 37, appeared in court on attempted murder charges alongside his then-girlfriend, Brenda Uliarte, 25, who is accused of being a co-conspirator and allegedly instigating the murder. SMS attack.

A third suspect, Nicolas Carrizo, 29, is a friend of the couple accused of complicity.

In court, the charges were read, citing messages that clearly referenced Kirchner’s assassination plan.

Sabag Montiel, who worked odd jobs as a rideshare driver and sports tattoos of neo-Nazi symbols, wrote to Uliarte: “I’m going to go to Cristina’s house with the gun and I’m going to shoot her.”

After the attack, Carrizo boasted that Sabag Montiel was “one second away from becoming a national hero.”

“They were fully aware of what they were doing and the possible consequences,” according to the indictment.

More than 270 witnesses are expected to be called, including Kirchner, 71, during the trial which is expected to last “between six months and a year”, according to Kirchner’s lawyer, Marcos Aldazabal.

The assassination attempt, caught on video, took place as Kirchner mingled with a crowd that had gathered outside his home on September 1, 2022, to show support amid his fraud trial.

The dramatic incident sparked global condemnation, with Pope Francis calling Kirchner hours after the attack.

Kirchner alleged a broader political conspiracy, privately financed by his opponents, but the investigating judge did not pursue some of the leads she wanted to examine.

“The entire investigation was characterized by avoiding knowing the truth,” Kirchner said in a statement after the case closed.

Three months after the attack, Kirchner was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in a trial she called a political witch hunt.

She is appealing the verdict.

Kirchner rose to prominence as part of the ultimate political power couple, with her and her late husband Nestor Kirchner collectively serving 12 years at Casa Rosada, the pink presidential palace.

She served as vice president from 2019 to 2023 and remains a vocal opponent of President Javier Milei.

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