Horror in Argentina: The influential Vice President Kirchner is attacked by a man with a gun. Head of state Fernández speaks of an assassination. The incident raises many questions.
Argentina’s former President Cristina Kirchner narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, according to current President Alberto Fernández. An armed man held a loaded gun in the face of the 69-year-old on Thursday evening (local time) in front of her home in Buenos Aires. Fernández later reported in a televised address to the nation that the attacker also pulled the trigger. But no shot was fired. The suspected assassin was arrested. According to media reports, Kirchner was not injured. A corruption trial is currently underway against the current Vice President.
“Cristina is still alive because the gun, which contained five bullets, did not fire for a reason that has not yet been technically confirmed, even though the trigger was pulled,” the president said on television. Kirchner was the country’s president from 2007 to 2015 and is still very influential today. She represents the left wing of the current governing coalition. She was married to the late former President Néstor Kirchner.
Videos show the politician arriving at around 9 p.m. in front of her apartment building in the elegant Recoleta district. There are numerous supporters waiting for them – as they have been for days. Suddenly, someone out of the crowd aims her in the face at point-blank range. She crouches and holds up her hand protectively. Eyewitnesses reported that the trigger could also be heard. The 35-year-old man – allegedly a Brazilian – was overpowered by those present and the politician’s bodyguards and later arrested. A 32 caliber pistol was also found. The background was initially unclear.
Fernández spoke of the most serious political incident since the end of the military dictatorship (1976-1983) in Argentina. The head of state declared Friday a holiday at short notice because social peace in the South American country had been disturbed. The population should be given the opportunity to speak out “in peace and harmony” in defense of democracy and peace and to express solidarity with Kirchner.
Kirchner’s lawyer Gregorio Dalbón told local media the attack was a result of hatred and public threats against the politician. “These have so far been dismissed as fun,” he criticized. Now everything has to be fully explained. The media also questioned how the attacker managed to get so close to Kirchner, despite Kirchner’s bodyguards.
Chaotic scenes in front of Kirchner’s house for days
Chaotic scenes had taken place in front of Kirchner’s house in the past few days. Numerous supporters are currently camping on the streets in support of the popular and controversial politician. In a recent corruption trial against Kirchner, prosecutors had demanded twelve years in prison and a lifetime ban from public office. She is said to have been the leader of a criminal organization and brought the state the equivalent of around one billion euros.
Together with her husband, she was said to have procured a whole series of public contracts for a friend of hers, a building contractor, without a tender. Part of the excessive construction costs flowed back to the couple later. The Vice President rejects the allegations and accuses the judiciary of investigating against her for political reasons.
Source: Stern
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