Daily Times

Argentine authorities have ordered the release of a woman who is among four people accused of involvement in the attempted murder of Vice President Cristina Kirchner, a court order showed Tuesday. Kirchner, 69, survived an assassination attempt on September 1 as she mingled with supporters outside her home in Buenos Aires, when a gun brandished by a man in the crowd failed to fire. The alleged assailant, Fernando Sabag Montiel, 35, was arrested at the scene and his girlfriend Brenda Uliarte, 23, was taken into custody three days later. Both have been charged with “attempted aggravated homicide.” Gabriel Carrizo, 27, the alleged leader of a gang known as the “copitos,” and Agustina Diaz, 21, were arrested later and charged with complicity in the attack. But an appeals court has now ordered Diaz’s release for a lack of evidence to indict her, according to the ruling seen by AFP. The same court ordered the continued pre-trial detention of Carrizo. Investigators said Diaz had had numerous WhatsApp conversations with Uliarte. But they took place after the attack, and the court found the messages did not constitute proof of her involvement in the planning. The motive for the attack remains unclear.