Trial starts over the 2022 assassination attempt of Argentina's Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Three suspects went on trial Wednesday before a federal court in Argentina for the assassination attempt two years ago of then-Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, one of the country's most powerful and divisive political figures in recent decades.

On that day, Sept. 1, 2022, Fernández stepped out of her car outside her apartment building and began shaking hands with a throng of well-wishers when Fernando Sabag Montiel, pushed forward with a gun, pointed it just inches from her face and pulled the trigger.

A click was heard but no shot was fired and experts later said there was no bullet in the chamber. Still, the attempt on the life of Fernández — who served as president from 2007 to 2015 — shook Argentina, a country with a history of political violence.

Sabag Montiel was grabbed by Fernández's supporters at the scene, and handed over to police. The Brazilian national, who has lived in Argentina for decades, told local media in 2023 that he does not regret his actions and that he acted alone.

His girlfriend at the time, Brenda Uliarte, was arrested days later, accused of taking part in the assassination attempt. The two worked together as street vendors, selling cotton candy. Nicolás Carrizo, the couple's friend and boss, is also on trial, as an accomplice. Uliarte and Carrizo have both denied involvement.

The proceedings are expected to take at least one year.

More than 200 witnesses will testify, including Fernández herself. The former president, now 71, has expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation, saying it did not delve into the ideological motive for the attack and that she suspects opposition sectors could have planned and financed it.

After the proceedings opened on Wednesday, she reposted on X a message from...