Argentina: What is known about the man who tried to assassinate Cristina Fernández de Kirchner?

The images are recorded. Among the crowd, in front of the camera, a hand is extended with a pistol pointed directly at the head of the most important political leader in Argentina. It’s just seconds. The man pulled the trigger twice but the bullets did not come out. The gun falls. The militants surround the aggressor.

Later, the authorities confirmed that the man who wanted to commit the assassination is called Fernando André Sabag Montiel, 35 years old, is of Brazilian nationality, lived in Buenos Aires, and had a criminal record for illegally carrying a weapon. He is detained.

The vice president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was the one who suffered the assassination attempt on Thursday, around 9:00 p.m. (local time). The attack occurred in the Recoleta neighborhood, Buenos Aires, when the also former president was returning to her house. But who is the aggressor?The aggressor has lived in Argentina for years

Fernando André Sabag Montiel is registered to work as a vehicle driver through applications, according to Cronista.

Sabag Montiel’s document, obtained by the Federal Police, shows that he was born in the city of Sao Paulo (Brazil), but has lived in Argentina permanently since 1998. Research sources told the Télam agency that his last entry into the country happened in 2018.

The arrested person has already been transferred to the Police Investigations Superintendency and was placed at the disposal of the federal judge number 5, María Eugenia Capuchetti.The weapon

Government sources told La Nación that Sabag Montiel tried to kill Kirchner with a 380-caliber Bersa pistol (also known as a short 9mm).

Télam points out – citing police investigations – that there were five bullets in the magazine of the semi-automatic pistol. In their report, it mentions the .32 caliber Bersa, also known as 7.65 mm, of a slightly lower power, which has a partial 250 numbering on its base.

The Minister of Security, Aníbal Fernández, confirmed that the individual was carrying a firearm. «Now the situation has to be analyzed by our scientific police, to evaluate the traces», said Fernández, quoted by channel C5N.

Criminal record

The suspect does not appear in the database of the International Police (Interpol), and does not have an active arrest warrant, according to what Police sources assured Télam.

However, the man had an ‘encounter’ with police officers on March 17 of last year, when he was arrested by personnel from the 15 A Neighborhood Police Station of the Buenos Aires Police for possession and the carrying of a knife.

The arrest occurred by chance, after an officer observed that a black Chevrolet Prisma car did not have a rear license plate. Sabag Montiel, who was driving, explained to the agent that the lack of the patent was due to a vehicle accident a few days before.

When he opened the door of his car and started looking for the car registration, a 35-centimeter-long knife fell out. Kirchner’s now attacker justified it as ‘needs for self-defense’, reports RT.

TV interview

Among other details that came to light after the failed assassination attempt is the appearance of Sabag Montiel in an interview for the Crónica television channel a few weeks ago.

The fact was confirmed by Tomás Méndez, presenter of the program in which the individual appeared together with his girlfriend. «We interviewed him, the criminal who tried to kill Cristina. We have a lot of information, because his girlfriend later came on the show. She was obviously someone who was working on the issue», wrote Méndez on his Twitter account.»Stuff Too Weird»

The political scientist Eduardo Vior, doctor in Social Sciences and Sociology, maintains, after analyzing the assassination attempt, that it is very difficult to identify the reasons for it, although some elements can be highlighted to clarify the possible origins of the attack and the suspect’s motivation to carry out the assassination.

According to the expert’s sources, the detainee has a tattoo of a black sun, a mark used by Nazi organizations in Brazil. This detail can help investigators track down the intellectual authors of the attack, because there is a lot of «stuff too weird» to analyze.

As for the pistol, with which the detainee was armed, it would have been delivered «a second before» the attack, maintains the political scientist. Vior reaches this conclusion because the attacker had not checked the chamber, which had no bullets. Therefore, it is assumed that, possibly, there was no intention at that time to kill the politician, but to «create a national commotion».
What has the Argentine justice done?

The Argentine Justice advances to determine the causes that motivated the assassination attempt on the vice president.

The federal judge in charge of the case, María Eugenia Capuchetti, went this Friday to the home of the former president, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Recoleta, to take a testimonial statement after the frustrated attack that she suffered on Thursday night.

The Peronist leader testified as a witness for almost 50 minutes in the presence of Capuchetti and prosecutor Carlos Rívolo. According to judicial sources, she was «whole» and predisposed to give testimony, informed the Télam agency.

In addition to Cristina Fernández, at least 30 witnesses passed by the Capuchetti court to give details about what happened, including protesters who were at the scene, federal police officers and the bodyguards of the vice president.

The attack has been classified as an «attempted homicide». So far, only the aggressor has been charged, but «all hypotheses are being investigated», indicated sources linked to the case.

Sabag Montiel, the assailant, is expected to testify, although he may decline to do so. Meanwhile, the Justice analyzed this Friday the social networks, the cell phone and the attacker’s assets. In addition, the magistrate has the images of the security cameras in the area to determine what the previous movements of the accused were.

It is still unknown whether Sabag Montiel acted alone or with other people, but it was confirmed that the weapon he used in the attack, a Bersa 380 pistol, was capable of firing and had five bullets inside.

Capuchetti also requested information to investigate the role of Cristina Kirchner’s personal custodians during the episode. For his part, President Alberto Fernández visited the Peronist leader at her home in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Recoleta, where he stayed for almost an hour and left without making any statements to the press.

Last night, the president asserted during a recorded message broadcasted to the population that he has asked Judge Capuchetti «to clarify as soon as possible» what happened and to «ensure the life of the accused».Cristina goes out for Argentina

On Friday, minutes before 04:30 in the afternoon (local time), Fernández left her home and greeted dozens of supporters who were waiting to show her support. The head of the Senate was smiling and relaxed when leaving her home.

The vice president was accompanied by Diego Carbone, the chief in charge of her security, and at least four other personal custodians. In addition, policemen with shields were located a few meters away to prevent people from approaching. She then boarded a black vehicle that was escorted by a pickup truck.