BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A court docket in Argentina sentenced a person to 10 years in jail on Wednesday after discovering him responsible of trying to kill highly effective former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner three years in the past.

The court docket in Buenos Aires additionally sentenced the person’s confederate to eight years in jail, capping a dramatic case that has convulsed and captivated the nation for the reason that botched assassination try on Sept. 1, 2022, when the principle defendant, Fernando Sabag Montiel, squeezed by a crowd outdoors the ex-president’s house, thrust a loaded gun at her face and pulled the set off.

The gun didn’t go off. Fernández, then Argentina’s vice chairman, was unhurt.

The bewildering episode provoked avenue protests from Fernández’s die-hard supporters in addition to skepticism and conspiracy theories from her fervent critics.

Amongst Latin America’s best-known politicians with three many years on the forefront of Argentine politics and two phrases as president (2007-2015), Fernández is a deeply polarizing determine whose model of left-wing populism introduced Argentina infamy for its runaway inflation and huge fiscal deficits.

Convicted of corruption for allegedly steering public roadworks contracts to a good friend’s firm, Fernández, 72, was sentenced earlier this yr to 6 years behind bars. Citing her superior age and security fears for the reason that 2022 assault, a court docket allowed Fernández to serve her time underneath home arrest in Buenos Aires.

Whereas banned from operating for public workplace, she stays outspoken towards her political nemesis, libertarian President Javier Milei. From her residence, she nonetheless posts diatribes on social media, waves at supporters gathered beneath her balcony and receives high-profile guests, comparable to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva final July.

Within the trial that concluded Wednesday, prosecutors aimed to show that Sabag Montiel, an Argentine citizen born in Brazil, and his then-girlfriend, Brenda Uliarte, deliberate the assassination try upfront.

The prosecution produced WhatsApp chats concerning the firearm and proof that the previous couple visited Fernández’s home earlier than the assault to watch her routines and safety.

On the time of the taking pictures, Fernández was standing trial for corruption and crowds rallied usually outdoors her house in solidarity. Fernández rejects the corruption expenses as politically motivated.

Fernández’s supporters managed to catch Sabag Montiel as he tried to flee the scene after firing the faulty gun.

He confessed to the crime in court docket, describing his assassination try as a way to precise justice for Fernández’s alleged corruption. Uliarte, arrested days after the incident, denied any involvement.