Buenos Aires, Argentina- Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on Thursday evening survived an assassination attempt after the assailant’s gun was jammed.
According to officials, the incident transpired as the Vice-President was making her way through a bustling crowd near her residence, which gathered to show support amid an ongoing corruption case when a 35-year-old Brazilian national, Fernando Andrés Zabak, approached her and pointed a .380 firearm with bullets inside at her head at point blank range and pulled the trigger only for the gun not to go off.
Afterwards, the Vice-President then covered her face and hunched down and appeared to be unharmed.
“A person who was identified by those who were close to him who had a gun was detained by (the Vice-President’s) security personnel. They set him aside, found the weapon, and now it must be analyzed,” said Aníbal Fernández, the Security Minister.
However, the Minister said he wanted to be careful in providing details until the investigation learns more.
Moreso, President Alberto Fernandez, in a televised address also reiterated what the Security Minister had said.
“A man pointed a firearm at her head and pulled the trigger. Cristina is still alive because, for some reason yet to be confirmed, the gun did not fire. This is the most serious event we have gone through since Argentina returned to democracy,” said the President.
In addition, Economy Minister, Sergio Massa, declared his solidarity with the Vice-President and her family while voicing hopes the assailant is brought to justice.
“When hate and violence prevail over debate, societies are destroyed and situations like these arise, attempted assassination,” said the Minister.
Government and opposition leaders, as well as politicians from other Latin American countries, also expressed their solidarity with the Vice-President.
Kirchner, who previously served as Argentina’s President between 2007 and 2015, is currently facing corruption charges over an alleged scheme to funnel State funds to a family friend through public contracts.
Earlier in August, a Federal Prosecutor called for Kirchner to serve a 12-year prison sentence. Days later, her supporters clashed with police in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, with Télam reporting police used sticks and tear gas on protesters after a group of people knocked down fences near her home.
Brazil is a month away from a Presidential election in which incumbent Jair Bolsonaro will face off against his bitter rival, the leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula has reportedly taken to wearing a bullet-proof vest at rallies for fear of a similar attack from right-wing extremists.
