MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Woman shot at Brazilian consulate in Ciudad del Este

The perpetrator tried to kill himself and left a note to his family

Brazilian national Cássio Mussawer Montenegro opened fire Thursday at approximately 1.30 pm against Prima Felicia Benítez de Cantuni, a 78-year-old former judge who works as a legal advisor at the Brazilian Consulate in Ciudad del Este. During the attack at the diplomatic mission, the woman was shot in the left arm. Security personnel fired back. The perpetrator then tried to kill himself but failed. They are both hospitalized, the Alto Paraná Police Chief, Crio Feliciano Martínez, confirmed.

Surveillance footage shows Benítez speaking with a security guard when Montenegro began firing, and she crawled to safety. After the initial shots, which also hit the consulate's facade, Montenegro reportedly ran out of ammunition. He then reloaded his weapon a few meters away and returned to the front of the consulate, where he shot himself in the head. He is in critical condition with serious head injuries.

A 38mm caliber revolver and a suicide note were found at the scene. In the letter, Montenegro expressed that he “cannot bear the pain” and left “the authorities with the weight of my heart and the history of my requests.”

Montenegro's social media posts indicate that he was critical of the government and claimed to have suffered severe violations of his fundamental rights due to judicial corruption in São Paulo. He had previously run for city council in Foz do Iguaçu but was unsuccessful.

“Dear family, I cannot bear the pain and have decided to leave. I leave the authorities with the weight of my heart and the history of my requests. I would like to be buried next to my father on our own land. I go in peace to the house of the Creator. I would like my possessions to be divided equally between my mother and siblings,” read the letter signed Casio M. Montenegro.