Argentina: Trial Regarding Assassination Attempt on Former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Finally Begins

The trial into the failed 2022 assassination attempt of then-Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is officially underway, as three suspects stand on trial for their alleged effort to kill the former first lady, who became the president of Argentina and later became vice president.

The three suspects who tried to assassinate Fernandez were Fernando Sabag Montiel, Brenda Uliarte, and Nicolas Carrizo. They stand accused of "attempted aggravated homicide" when they publicly tried to kill the former president.

The trio have been held in custody at different hails across Buenos Aires and were sent to a courtroom in the City neighborhood of Retiro on Wednesday morning, with Sabag Montiel and Uliarte being sent from Ezeiza prison, while Carrizo was sent from a jail in Marcos Paz. They all came with large security details, given the case profile.

According to the Buenos Aires Times, the trial actually began an hour late, but it eventually started with prosecutors reading out the charges against the would-be assassins. The charge of attempted aggravated homicide carries penalties of up to 25 years in Argentina.

It was Sabag Montiel who tried to kill Fernandez in 2022. She was saved because the gun he was armed with failed to go off. He was later subdued by security personnel and arrested immediately, with his two accomplices also being arrested soon after.

The attempted assassination of the person considered the most powerful woman in Argentina did not just shock the country but the entire world, as it was done brazenly in public, in front of many of Fernandez's supporters.

Montiel reportedly pulled the trigger several times, but the gun failed to fire. This was seen by hundreds of people, resulting in the court to summon over 270 witnesses. They are to testify before the Tribunal Oral Federal Court No. 6 in Buenos Aires. These witnesses include political figures, security personnel, friends of the defendant's entourage, and experts from various fields.

Trial of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Assassination Suspects Expected To Last a Year

The trial itself is expected to take a long time and garner much media coverage as a high-profile case, according to the Associated Press. It is expected to last between six months to a year.

Meanwhile, current Argentina Justice Minister Martin Mena commented on X, formerly Twitter, that the assassination attempt was "one of the most serious events since the recovery of democracy" in 1983 in the country and that judges and prosecutors "have the responsibility and obligation to investigate it."

Failed Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Assassin Says He Did It for 'Social Good'

As for the man who tried and failed to kill the former president/ vice president/ first lady of Argentina, Fernando Sabag Montiel, 37, he remains unrepentant and claimed that she "is corrupt, she steals and harms society."

"The idea was to kill Cristina," he told the court calmly, adding that the failed assassination bid was "an act of justice" for "the social good."

According to RFI News, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner herself is expected to testify, with her saying, "The entire investigation was characterized by avoiding knowing the truth."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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