On October 8, 2025, an Argentine court handed down sentences in a case that has haunted the nation for over three years: the attempted assassination of former President and Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Fernando Sabag Montiel, a Brazilian national living in Argentina, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted aggravated homicide with a firearm. His former partner, Brenda Uliarte, received an eight-year sentence as a necessary participant in the crime. The failed attack, which took place outside Fernández’s Buenos Aires residence on September 1, 2022, stunned Argentina and reverberated far beyond its borders.
The events of that evening remain vivid in the country’s collective memory. According to EFE, Sabag Montiel approached Fernández as she greeted supporters outside her home, where crowds had gathered amid her ongoing corruption trial. In a chilling moment, Sabag Montiel pointed a loaded gun at Fernández’s face and pulled the trigger just centimeters away. Miraculously, the firearm failed to discharge due to what investigators later determined was a mechanical malfunction. The close call, as reported by Reuters, left the country “shocked” and drew “widespread international condemnation.”
Judge Sabrina Namer, presiding over the Federal Criminal Oral Court No. 6 in Buenos Aires, delivered the verdict alongside magistrates Adrián Grünberg and Ignacio Fornari. The court found Sabag Montiel “criminally responsible for the attempted aggravated homicide using a firearm and for carrying a war weapon without legal authorization.” Brenda Uliarte, who had been in a relationship with Sabag Montiel at the time of the attack, was convicted as a “necessary participant” for aiding her then-partner in the plot.
During the final court session, Sabag Montiel attempted to cast doubt on the proceedings, asserting that the case against him was “fabricated.” However, this contradicted his earlier admission at the trial’s opening session on June 26, 2024, when he stated plainly, “I wanted to kill Cristina.” Uliarte, for her part, chose not to testify before the court. A third defendant, Nicolás Carrizo, who had initially been accused of orchestrating the plot, was acquitted and released from pretrial detention in August 2024 due to lack of evidence. “The three years I spent in prison, no one will give them back to me,” Carrizo remarked, highlighting the personal toll of the lengthy investigation.
Prosecutors had sought even harsher penalties, requesting 15 years for Sabag Montiel and 14 years for Uliarte. Fernández’s legal team echoed these demands, seeking 15-year sentences for both defendants. Ultimately, the court imposed slightly lighter terms, but the outcome still represents a significant reckoning for those involved in one of Argentina’s most brazen political attacks in recent memory.
The assassination attempt occurred during a period of deep political turmoil for Fernández. At the time, she was embroiled in a high-profile corruption trial over alleged irregularities in public works contracts dating back to her 2007–2015 presidency. The gathering of supporters outside her home on that September evening was a testament to her enduring political influence—and, perhaps, the heightened tensions surrounding her legal battles. According to EFE, Fernández did not attend the sentencing hearing nor did she request permission to appear in court. The session proceeded under tight security, but without the large crowds of Fernández loyalists that had characterized previous court appearances.
The case’s resolution comes as Fernández faces her own legal consequences. In June 2025, she was convicted in the corruption case and sentenced to six years of house arrest, along with a lifetime ban from holding public office. This development, while separate from the assassination attempt, has further polarized Argentina’s already divided political landscape. Fernández’s supporters view her as a victim of political persecution, while critics see the verdict as overdue accountability for alleged abuses of power.
Adding another layer to the story, Sabag Montiel’s legal troubles extend beyond the assassination attempt. As reported by EFE, since May 2025 he has been serving a four-year, three-month prison sentence for possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation material involving minors under 13. The court’s decision to add the 10-year term for the attempted homicide means Sabag Montiel now faces a lengthy period behind bars—though the sentences’ exact relationship (whether concurrent or consecutive) was not specified in the reporting.
The attack on Fernández, as Reuters emphasized, was not only a national trauma but an international incident. Fernández, who served as Argentina’s president from 2007 to 2015 and then as vice president from 2019 to 2023, remains one of the country’s most recognized political figures. The attempt on her life brought swift condemnation from leaders around the globe and prompted urgent discussions about political violence and security in Latin America. The fact that the gun failed to fire—whether by chance or some other twist of fate—undoubtedly spared Argentina from an even deeper crisis.
Despite the high-profile nature of the case, the final sentencing unfolded in a relatively subdued atmosphere. Security was tight, but the absence of crowds outside the courthouse marked a stark contrast to earlier phases of Fernández’s legal saga. The mood reflected a nation perhaps weary from years of political strife, legal drama, and economic uncertainty. Still, the gravity of the court’s decision was not lost on observers. As ABC International reported, the sentencing of Sabag Montiel to 10 years in prison was seen as a pivotal moment for Argentine justice and a signal that such acts of political violence would not go unpunished.
The acquittal of Nicolás Carrizo, meanwhile, underscores the complexities and challenges of prosecuting high-profile conspiracy cases. While prosecutors initially painted Carrizo as the ringleader, the court ultimately found insufficient evidence to convict. His release after three years of pretrial detention has sparked debate about the balance between due process and the need for swift justice—an issue that resonates far beyond Argentina’s borders.
For Fernández, the attack and its aftermath have become yet another chapter in a career marked by both remarkable resilience and persistent controversy. Her dual status as a victim of violence and a figure under legal scrutiny has fueled passionate debate across Argentina’s political spectrum. Supporters see her as a bulwark against reactionary forces, while detractors argue that her legal woes are a consequence of her own actions in office.
As Argentina looks ahead, the legacy of the 2022 assassination attempt—and the sentences handed down this week—will likely linger in the national consciousness. The case has forced the country to grapple with uncomfortable questions about political polarization, the limits of dissent, and the rule of law. For now, though, the court’s verdict stands as a stark reminder of just how close Argentina came to tragedy, and the enduring challenges of safeguarding democracy in turbulent times.