A man tried to assassinate Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Fernández, but his gun misfired. The 69-year-old seems to be unharmed and the assailant was quickly overpowered by security. 

Associated Press reported that the attacker is Fernando André Sabag Montiel, who was using a .32-caliber Bersa. 

Who is Fernando André Sabag Montiel?

The 35-year-old reportedly has a history of carrying weapons, and while AP reported a Security Ministry official saying the man had no previous criminal record, it seems he had a run-in with the authorities in the past. 

In March 2021, Sabag Montiel was arrested in the Agronomy neighbourhood. Police stopped him because the rear plate of the car had almost fallen off, and the individual claimed to be in an accident. When he opened the door to provide documentation, a 35-centimetre-long knife fell out. 

Authorities were ordered to seize the knife from Sabag Montiel and take a photo of him. Apart from that, the individual is also a sharp critic of the current Argentine government. 

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He defines himself as a “Christian” on his Instagram account and has a video where a reporter asks him for his opinion on Sergio Massa’s arrival at the Ministry of Economy of Argentina. Uploading the video, the knife attacker wrote, “I appeared on Crónica TV criticizing the Government and Sergio Massa. On top of that, the journalists congratulated me saying that I know about politics…”. 

Commercial registries show Sabag Montiel dedicated to “non-regular urban and suburban motor transport service for free passengers, except through taxis and remises, car rental with driver and school transport (includes special urban services such as charters, contracted services”, Eldario, a Spanish publication, reported. 

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This would confirm the version of him being a regular driver of a transport application. 

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva showed solidarity, calling the attacker “a fascist criminal who doesn’t know how to respect differences and diversity.”