Argentina Vice President Kirchner narrowly escapes gunfire

 Photo: @AZmilitary1 / Twitter.

A man tried to kill Argentina’s politically powerful Vice President Cristina Fernández outside her home, but the handgun misfired, the country’s president said. The man was quickly overpowered by her security officers in the incident Thursday night, officials said.

President Alberto Fernández, who is not related to the vice president, a former president herself, said the pistol did not discharge when the man tried to fire it.

“A man pointed a firearm at her head and pulled the trigger,” the president said in a national broadcast following the incident. He said the firearm was loaded with five bullets but “didn’t fire even though the trigger was pulled.”

The vice president didn't appear to be hurt, and the attacker, who was surrounded by her supporters, was quickly overcome.

The Associated Press was told by Gina De Bai, a witness who was close to the vice president during the incident, that she heard "the sound of the trigger being pulled." She claimed that until security workers rushed the man, she was unaware that it was a firearm.

Insane video out of Argentina—a man points what appears to be a gun at embattled Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner amid political chaos over corruption case against her. More here: https://t.co/nxn1Wgds1l pic.twitter.com/23spEVbAaY

— Conor Finnegan (@cjf39) September 2, 2022

The attempted shooting was condemned by President Fernández, who called it "the most serious incident since we reclaimed democracy" in 1983 following a military dictatorship. The vice president was attacked while she is being tried for alleged corruption committed between 2007 and 2015; she firmly denies the allegations, which has prompted her fans to encircle her residence in the affluent Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires.

Fernández was seen exiting her vehicle while surrounded by fans in a video that was aired on local media networks, when a guy is seen reaching out with what appears to be a firearm. The apparent gunman's surroundings seem to be in astonishment as the vice president ducks. 

Unverified video posted on social media shows the pistol almost touched Fernández’s face.

Argentina's Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner asked her supporters to halt mass protests while defending their right to demonstrate. Prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for the leader for alleged corruption https://t.co/WAdY6qCT2m pic.twitter.com/R5hjKNwASW

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 28, 2022

Fernando André Sabag Montiel, a Brazilian citizen, was named as the alleged shooter, according to a Security Ministry official who spoke on the record. The officer added that the gun was a.32-caliber Bersa and that he had no criminal history.

Friday has been proclaimed a holiday by the president "so the Argentine people can express itself in defence of life, democracy, and in solidarity with our vice president in peace and harmony."

Since last week, when a prosecutor requested a 12-year sentence and a lifetime ban on holding public office for Fernández in the corruption case, supporters of the vice president have gathered in the streets near her home. 

Government representatives quickly condemned what they dubbed an assassination attempt after the incident. Economic Minister Sergio Massa said, "When hate and violence are forced over the exchange of ideas, societies are ruined and lead to scenarios like the one experienced today: an assassination attempt."

The vice president's attempted murder was "energetically condemned," according to a news statement from cabinet ministers. "What happened tonight is extremely serious and puts the rule of law, institutions, and democracy under danger."

The attack was also denounced by former president Mauricio Macri, a conservative who took over for the left-leaning Fernández. Macri posted on Twitter, "This very serious event demands an urgent and deep clarification by the courts and security forces."

Mi repudio absoluto al ataque sufrido por Cristina Kirchner que afortunadamente no ha tenido consecuencias para la vicepresidenta. Este gravísimo hecho exige un inmediato y profundo esclarecimiento por parte de la justicia y las fuerzas de seguridad.

— Mauricio Macri (@mauriciomacri) September 2, 2022

The leader of the opposition Republican Proposal party, Patricia Bullrich, criticised President Fernández for "playing with fire" in his response to the incident. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation into a terrible tragedy, she claimed, he attacks the press and the opposition while announcing a national holiday to rally people.

Since the weekend, when the vice president's supporters and police battled in the streets outside her apartment as authorities tried to clear the area, tensions have been high in the Recoleta neighbourhood. After the altercations, there were fewer police officers in the area of the vice president's apartment than there had previously been.

Every day at around noon, Fernández leaves her residence and meets fans and signs autographs before getting in her car to travel to the Senate. Every evening, she goes through the same motions.

Following the incident, the vice president's supporters swiftly accused the opposition of spewing hate speech and encouraging violence.

Several prominent authorities have said recently that opposition leaders were searching for a fatality. Axel Kicillof, the governor of Buenos Aires, stated that "this is a historic event in Argentina that must have a before-and-after."

Leaders from the region also denounced the assault.Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro posted on Twitter, "We extend our sympathy to the vice president in this attempt against her life."

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, who is a candidate in that nation’s presidential election next month, also expressed solidarity with Fernández, calling her a “victim of a fascist criminal who doesn’t know how to respect differences and diversity.”