Argentina is in shock after an attempt to assassinate Vice President Cristina Kirchner was captured on camera last night, when 35-year-old Fernando Sabag Montiel brandished a gun on the Peronist leader and pulled the trigger just centimeters from her face. Despite being loaded with five bullets, the weapon did not fire.
Authorities and reporters have since been piecing together the identity of the man who tried to shoot Ms. Kirchner. He is currently under custody and scheduled to testify later today. So far, his story includes some intriguing aspects, from neo-Nazi symbology to a strange series of TV appearances throughout the last month.
Reports on the suspect say he was born in Brazil in 1987 to a Chilean father and Argentinian mother, but has been living in Argentina since 1993.
Mr. Montiel’s Argentinian police record lists prior weapon charges.
On March 17, 2021, a Buenos Aires City officer pulled over Mr. Montiel’s vehicle for driving without a license plate. He told police at the time that his plate had been lost in a recent crash. But when officers checked the inside of the vehicle, they found a 35-centimeter knife, which was seized and led to a short-lived case against him.
Recent photos of the gunman show him sporting a Schwarze...
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