An Argentine court has sentenced a man who threw a bottle at President Javier Milei, resulting in injury to one of his bodyguards. Gastón Ariel Mercanzini, who attacked Milei on December 10 while he was traveling from Congress to Casa Rosada with his sister, has been sentenced to three years in prison. The court imposed a year and a half sentence for the bottle-throwing incident, in addition to penalties for sexual violence against his ex-wife, which were already pending when he was arrested for attacking the head of state.
Judge María Eugenia Capuccitti approved the expedited trial reached by the official defense and prosecutor Carlos Rivolo last week. According to the ruling, the defendant requested to undergo rehabilitation and detox treatment until his recovery. Court documents indicated that he "understands and explicitly acknowledges the facts during the trial and accepts responsibility attributed to him."
On the afternoon of December 10, 2023, Javier Milei was traveling from Congress to Casa Rosada with his sister Karina Milei, the current Secretary General of the Presidency. While driving through Avenida de Mayo and Montevideo, a bottle struck Deputy Commissioner Guillermo Armentano, a member of the security oversight body of the Argentine Federal Police, hitting him above the ear and causing blood to flow toward his neck.
The individual responsible for throwing the bottle hid among a group of supporters on the street. He was identified by local security forces shortly after the incident, but no action was taken due to a lack of evidence. However, a video of the attack spread this month, prompting Judge Ariel Legu and prosecutor Rivolo to intervene immediately, leading to a search for the accused and his prosecution.
