The vice president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, just survived an assassination attempt last Thursday, September 1, 2022, due to sheer luck. Supporters of the vice president gathered around her home in Buenos Aires last week to show support in face of a prosecutor calling for Fernandez to be given a 12-year sentence as well as life-long probation from holding public office, over allegations of corruption during her term as president in 2007-2015. Fernandez has denied all of the allegations against her.
Video footage of the event showed Fernandez exiting a white vehicle to greet crowding supporters around 9:00 pm local time. However, suddenly, a hand appears from the crowd holding what looks like a pistol. According to a statement released by Argentina’s current president Alberto Fernandez (not related to Cristina Fernandez), the gun was loaded with five bullets and at point-blank range from Cristina’s face. The trigger was pulled and a click was heard, but luckily, the gun had jammed and no bullets came out. Fernandez ducked her head as members of the crowd quickly began to subdue the gunman to prevent him from trying to fire any additional shots.
President Fernandez has called this assassination attempt: “the most serious incident since we recovered democracy,” (Referring to the time when Argentina was under the rule of a military leadership between 1976-1983). The president called for an immediate investigation into the incident and declared that Friday would be a national holiday in solidarity with his vice president. Former President Mauricio Marci also tweeted about the gravity of the whole situation on Twitter, stating that: “This very serious event demands an immediate and profound clarification by the judiciary and security forces.” Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro, also tweeted in support of the vice president, stating: “We send our solidarity to the vice president in this attempt against her life.”
Many allies of Fernandez have criticized the attack, stating it to be the fault of the opposition party which is promoting violence. However, the President of the Republican Proposal party (the opposition), Patricia Bullrich, spoke out against the allegations made about her party by the president and his allies, stating that they are “playing with fire” by accusing the opposition and not taking the investigation seriously.
There is also still high political tension in the area since last weekend, when some of Fernandez’s supporters gathered outside her house were fighting against police who were trying to clear the area. No motive has been found yet, but the almost-assassin has been identified as a Brazilian national by the name of Fernando Sebag Montiel.
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/argentina-vice-president-survives-assassination-attempt-rcna46002
The Snapper 