Detainee In Attack On Argentina's Vice President Testifies Against Perpetrators - Reports

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2022) A friend of the attackers who attempted to assassinate Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner testified against them on Wednesday, Argentine media reported.

On September 1, Argentine police detained a 35-year-old Buenos Aires resident, Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, for attempting to assassinate Kirchner outside her home. According to local media reports, the perpetrator pointed a handgun at Kirchner, but it did not go off. The vice president was not injured during the incident.

On September 5, the Federal police agents of the country's anti-terrorism department detained the attacker's girlfriend, Brenda Uliarte, 23. An inspection of Uliarte's phone conversations reportedly indicated that she was present at the crime scene together with her partner.

According to the Infobae news portal, the police recently detained Agustina Diaz, Uliarte's friend. She testified against the perpetrators on Wednesday, saying that Uliarte had told her about the assassination attempt, but she never believed that her friend could do it. Diaz claimed that she was not involved in the planning of the attack, adding that she hardly knew Montiel, Infobae reported.

Montiel, who is a Brazilian citizen, has refused to testify. He reportedly had a bruise under his eye when he appeared in front of the judge. Asked about what happened, Montiel said he was beaten by Kirchner supporters during his arrest.

The assailant could face between 15 and 30 years in prison, a lawyer has told Sputnik, specifying that Montiel can ask for deportation to his homeland after serving half the term. If he goes back to Brazil, the Argentine authorities are likely to ban him from returning to Argentina for the rest of his life.

Thousands of people gathered for a demonstration in Buenos Aires on September 2 to express support for Kirchner. September 2 was declared a national day off by Argentine President Alberto Fernandez.

On August 22, a federal prosecutor requested that Kirchner, a former president, should be jailed for 12 years and prohibited from holding public office indefinitely amid corruption allegations.

Kirchner is accused of abusing her authority during her presidency in 2007-2015, to steer public contracts to Lazaro Antonio Baez, a businessman and an alleged close friend, who owns a construction company.