Argentina: Third Person Arrested in VP Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner's Assassination Attempt

Authorities in Argentina have arrested a third person in the assassination attempt on the life of Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Authorities said this suggests that a network of people was involved in the incident. The third suspect was identified as Agustina Diaz, a close friend of the gunman's girlfriend.

An Argentinian official with knowledge of the investigation told the Associated Press that Diaz was arrested Monday in the San Miguel suburb of Buenos Aires.

Third Suspect Allegedly Tried to Help Second Suspect Escape After Assassination Attempt

The first suspect arrested was Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, the 35-year-old Brazilian citizen accused of trying to shoot Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on September 1.

He emerged from the crowd outside the vice president's home and tried to shoot De Kirchner, pointing his Bersa 380 pistol in her face. Luckily, the gun jammed as he aimed at her. Police were able to arrest him soon after.

The second suspect is his 23-year-old Argentine girlfriend, Brenda Uliarte, who was reportedly at the scene when her boyfriend tried to kill the former president. She was arrested three days later at a Buenos Aires train station.

Sabag Montiel and Uliarte are both accused of trying to assassinate the president. According to the Argentine official, Agustina Diaz helped Uliarte escape the scene following the attempt on the life of De Kirchner.

Uliarte also had Diaz's contact saved as "love of my life" on her phone, and the two were in touch before and after the assassination attempt. The official added that Uliarte's role in the plot was becoming more and more relevant.

According to Al Jazeera, the three suspects were all part of an informal organization that planned the attack. Previously, a report noted that a third suspect was at large and that the suspect had been in contact with Uliarte for a month and had discussed the attack on De Kirchner.

Video surveillance images also showed both Sabag Montiel and Uliarte at the crime scene on the day the former tried to kill the woman considered Argentina's most important politician for the past 15 years.

The Guardian reported that Sabag Montiel and Uliarte have not been formally charged yet, but are expected to be charged with attempted homicide in the coming days. It is still unclear what charges will be made against Diaz.

Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, a Critic of Argentina's VP Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Before Attempted Assassination

Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel reportedly leans far into the right. Following his arrest, police scoured his social media profiles and found that he had been a vocal critic of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for years.

Posts from his now-deleted social media accounts have shown that he was already fed up with the Argentine political system. He often criticized De Kirchner and the right-wing opposition, including De Kirchner's opponent Javier Milei, the main face of Argentina's right-wing elements.

He was also involved in far-right Neo-Nazi organizations and even sported Nazi tattoos. According to the local press, the gunman was actually a local driver working for a transport app. His national ID also showed that he was single and of foreign origin.

It also showed that he has no active taxes and no bank accounts. The Brazilian citizen has lived in Argentina for over 20 years, having moved from Brazil in 1993. Police are still investigating if there was a wider plot surrounding the assassination attempt or if he was simply fed up with politics.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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