Argentina’s vice–president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was returning home from court, when a man with a loaded weapon appeared in front of her, informs British broadcaster BBC.
Video Footage shows the moment Fernández de Kirchner – surrounded by supporters – found herself face–to–face with the loaded weapon, but the gunman’s weapon jammed as he aimed at her.
El video del arma contra @CFKArgentina pic.twitter.com/8j1xpMnPoe
— Lautaro Maislin (@LautaroMaislin) September 2, 2022
Police said the gunman, whom local media identified as a 35–year–old Brazilian man, has been taken into custody.
They are attempting to establish a motive for the attack on the left–leaning populist, who was Argentina’s president from 2007 to 2015, and its first lady for four years before that.
President Alberto Fernández revealed the gun was loaded with five bullets but failed to fire when triggered.
Video circulating on social media shows the gun emerging from the crowd, and Ms. Fernández de Kirchner ducking to avoid it – covering her ears as she crouches.
Addressing the nation late on Thursday night, President Fernández – who worked as chief-of-staff to both Ms Fernández de Kirchner and her husband during their tenures – said: «Cristina remains alive because for a reason not yet technically confirmed, the gun, which contained five bullets, did not fire.»
He went on to condemn the attacker and said the attempt on Ms. Fernández de Kirchner’s life was one of the «most serious» incidents since the country returned to democracy in 1983.
Argentina’s economy minister, Sergio Massa, called the attempted shooting an «attempted assassination».