Assassination attempt against Cristina Fernández in Argentina: what we know

In a message to the nation, Argentine President Alberto Fernández informed the country about the assassination attempt on Thursday night against the current vice president, former first lady and twice president of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

The event occurred in the midst of a national context marked by the trial for alleged acts of corruption that point to the vice president. She denies it and in recent days her followers have come to the place where she lives in Buenos Aires to show her support.

“Cristina remains alive because for a reason not yet technically confirmed, the weapon that had five bullets did not fire despite being triggered,” President Alberto Fernández said in a serious tone, in a video posted on Twitter.

Who is the alleged attacker?

A security official identified the alleged attacker as Fernando André Sabag Montiel, a 35-year-old Brazilian who migrated to Argentina in 2018 and has a history of carrying unconventional weapons.

The man was arrested seconds after pointing at the Argentine vice president.

At the time of the attack, the leftist politician was approaching to greet the crowd that was waiting for her on the street, just outside her house.

“It is the most serious event since we have recovered democracy,” said President Fernández after the event.

The Minister of Security, Aníbal Fernández, confirmed to the local chain C5N that the attacker had been arrested.

Local officials have said it was “an attempted murder.”

“What happened tonight is so serious that it threatens democracy, institutions and the rule of law,” the Argentine cabinet ministers said in a written statement Thursday night.

What did the images of the attack show?

Shortly after the incident, Public Television showed the images of the moment in which a man wearing a mask and a wool cap points at Fernández de Kirchner, 69.

In a matter of a short time, the aggressor was subdued by the vice president’s guards and arrested.

Preliminary profile of the attacker

Sabag Montiel is a Brazilian national and has no criminal record, he told the agency. AP an official from the Argentine Ministry of Security who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to provide information on the case.

The official said that the weapon used is a Bersa brand, caliber 32.

Why has the aggressor’s tattoo attracted attention?

Sabag Montiel has a particular tattoo on one of his elbows, where you can see a black sun, typical of Nazism, and its meaning refers to beliefs linked to the movement promoted by Adolf Hitler during the early twentieth century in Germany, according to a local medium.

The black sun, in addition to being linked to Nazism, is a symbol of esotericism and whose meaning is hidden. It is made up of two concentric circles. Inside, the circle has the shape of a sun from which twelve rays come out, representing the movement of the sun during the year.

What happens to Cristina Fernández in Argentina?

The assassination attempt occurred while the vice president is facing a request for conviction in a corruption trial, which has been followed since she left the presidency in 2015. Fernández is a figure that divides Argentines: some criticize her for being a demagogue and others applaud her social politics.

An Argentine prosecutor has requested a 12-year sentence and lifelong disqualification from holding public office after considering that the former president incurred irregularities in the bidding for public works during her two terms between 2007 and 2015.

Cristina Fernández denies the accusations.

Her followers usually wait for her in the mornings and at night, in front of her apartment, to sign autographs for them.

Local media have reported that for a few days there was a presence of the Buenos Aires police in the surroundings of the building where the vice presidency resides, but after clashes with Fernández’s followers, the vice president’s security was reduced to her guards and a few agent.

The reasons for a national holiday?

President Fernandez declared a national holiday on Friday. In his message, he affirmed Argentina’s “shock” at the assassination attempt, especially for “his companions” of him.

The legal norm, which makes the holiday official, is signed by all cabinet members and refers to the “defense of peace and democracy.”

“Declare a national holiday on September 2, 2022 so that the Argentine people can express their deepest repudiation of the attempt on the life of the Vice President of the Nation, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and speak out in defense of peace and democracy”, states the Decree of Necessity and Urgency 573/2022.

On Thursday night, when announcing the holiday, Fernández called for “recovering democratic coexistence,” arguing that it would have been broken by hate speech.” In turn, he blamed political, judicial and media sectors in Argentina for this.

“We can have deep disagreements, but in a democratic society, speeches that promote hate cannot take place because they engender violence,” said the president, while calling on the people to “express themselves in defense of life, democracy and in solidarity with the vice president.”

What have been the reactions inside and outside Argentina?

*Mauricio Macri, former president of Argentina:

“My absolute rejection of the attack suffered by Cristina Kirchner, which fortunately has not had consequences for the vice president,” said the former president and political rival of the center-left leader, Mauricio Macri (2015-2019). “This very serious fact requires an immediate and profound clarification by the justice system and the security forces,” he added.

*Marc Stanley, US ambassador to Argentina: “We’re relieved to hear that the Vice President is okay.”

*Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela and ally of the current Argentine government:

“We send our solidarity to the vice president in the face of the attempt on her life. We strongly repudiate this action that seeks to destabilize the Peace of the brother Argentine people. The Great Homeland is with you, partner!” Maduro wrote on Twitter.

*Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, former president of Brazil and current presidential candidate:

“[Cristina Fernández fue] victim of a fascist criminal who does not know how to respect differences and diversity… thank God she escaped unharmed”.

^{* With the collaboration of Gonzalo Báñez Villar, from Buenos Aires.}

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