Former finance minister, right-wing congressman linked to Cristina Kirchner assassination attempt
Ongoing investigations into a recent assassination attempt against Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have uncovered links to both a former finance minister and a right-wing congressman.
Both are close allies of Mrs. Kirchner's arch-rival, former President Mauricio Macri - who's widely expected to run again next year, possibly against Kirchner herself.
Transfers totaling 13 million pesos ($80,000) to neo-fascist spokesman Jonathan Morel from a trust controlled by Former Finance Minister Luis Caputo were found over the past two weeks.
Morel's "Federal Revolution" perpetrated numerous violent incidents against officials in the center-left Alberto Fernández administration - whom the group called to be "exiled, jailed, or killed" - since Morel co-founded the group in May, and included in its ranks Fernando Sabag Montiel - the gunman in the failed, September 1st assassination attempt.
Caputo, 57, is a cousin of Macri's best friend - and best known locally for presiding over a disastrous "financial bicycle" carry-trade bubble, whose collapse in 2018 led to a debt crisis requiring a record IMF bailout.
Morel, 23, and Sabag Montiel, 35, are among eight so far arrested in the probe. Another detainee, "cotton candy" gang leader Nicolás Carrizo, raised eyebrows by securing three prominent lawyers - all having recently represented close Macri allies.
Here's looking at you
Judge María Eugenia Capuchetti, a Macri appointee, heads the probe - but was faulted by Kirchner allies for refusing to seize cell phones belonging to two aides of right-wing Congressman Gerardo Milman, as well as for not calling Milman to testify, after a witness testified yesterday to seeing all three in a Buenos Aires café on August 30th.
Milman "was dying of laughter about how 'when they kill her, I'll be on my way to the beach!'," the witness had earlier tweeted.
Milman, caucus whip for Macri's hard-right PRO, in fact traveled to seaside Pinamar that weekend. He made official inquiries as to Mrs. Kirchner's security just two days earlier.
Security camera footage shows Milman, 56, and the two women entering and leaving the Casablanca Café, across the street from Congress. The two aides, Carolina Gómez Mónaco and Ivana Bohdziewicz, initially denied having been in the café "since March" - but later recanted when Federal Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita showed them the footage.
Gómez Mónaco and Milman both had high-ranking posts under Macri's hard-line Security Minister Patricia Bullrich - who in turn has close links to a number of Federal Revolution extremists.
Gómez Mónaco's business partner, Mariale Mroue, is a panelist in a cable news show where two of the detainees, gunman Sabag Montiel and Brenda Uliarte, were first interviewed on July 28th - a month before the attack.
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The plot thickens: Argentine Congressman Gerardo Milman, right-wing lawyer Hernán Carrol, and Patricia Bullrich - security minister under former President (and likely 2023 candidate) Mauricio Macri.
All have ties to the September 1st assassination attempt against Vice President Cristina Kirchner - who is widely believed to be mulling a run in next year's presidential election.
Milman suggested foreknowledge of the attack through a number of tweets, congressional resolutions and per witness testimony.
Carrol was sought as counsel by gunman Fernando Sabag Montiel (though he refused), and has close ties to both the "Federal Revolution" extremist group and Patricia Bullrich.
Bullrich is closely acquainted with a number of Federal Revolution defendants - among whose attorneys are at least four lawyers closely tied with Macri allies or former officials.