A man has been arrested in Argentina for pointing a gun at Vice President Cristina Kirchner. Television pictures showed the man aiming the gun at Kirchner on Thursday when the left-wing politician and former head of state got out of a car in front of her apartment in the capital Buenos Aires.
President Alberto Fernández later said the gun was loaded with five bullets. The trigger was pulled, but the gun did not fire a shot for technical reasons that are still unknown. That’s the only reason why Kirchner is still alive. The head of state spoke of the “most serious” incident in Argentina since the country’s return to democracy in 1983.
Numerous supporters of Kirchner had gathered in front of the building in the Recoleta district. When the 69-year-old Vice President greeted her supporters, the man suddenly pointed a gun at the head of the politician, who was involved in numerous corruption affairs. According to media reports, it should be a Brazilian.
Security Minister AnÃbal Fernández later announced the arrest of the suspect. The investigation would be ongoing. The fingerprints of the arrested person would be checked, as well as a possible motive.
The incident came amid rising tensions surrounding Kirchner, who was the South American country’s president between 2007 and 2015. In a corruption trial last week, the public prosecutor’s office had demanded a twelve-year prison sentence against the vice president. The process is about public tenders in Kirchner’s political home province of Santa Cruz in the south of the country.
