Cristina Kirchner, vice president of Argentina, was accosted late on Thursday by a person armed with a loaded gun that fortunately did not fire. The assault took place in front of her Buenos Aires residence, where dozens Argentine people had gathered recently to show their support for the former two-term president. She is accused of corruption, which she denies, and the prosecution is seeking a substantial prison sentence.
Federal police have identified a suspect as 35-year-old Brazilian Fernando Andres Sabag Montiel, who had already been cited for knife possession last year.
According to local newspaper La Nacion, which cited police sources, Montiel had been living in Buenos Aires’ Villa Zagala district and working as a driver.
The publication reported that when police searched the property, they discovered 100 bullets.
According to Sergio Paroldi, the owner of the home Montiel was renting, Montiel had a typical appearance.
Police said that Cristina Kirchner was attacked on Thursday night around 9 p.m. local time (0 o’clock GMT). According to police, five people chased the suspect after accusing him of trying to assassinate the vice president.
The culprit was promptly apprehended by federal police, who identified him as Montiel.
According to authorities, the assailant fired a 32-caliber Bersa 380 pistol. The weapon had been loaded, according to President Alberto Fernandez.
Although Cristina Kirchner was intimately mingling with hundreds of fans who had been gathering every day close to her residence, the vice president was encircled by security agents. Video of the event reveals that the assailant was able to squeeze through the crowd and approach Fernandez de Kirchner up close, waving the gun in her face.
A well-known legislator named Miguel Angel Pichetto demanded an investigation of the attacker’s method of approach.