The gun misfired; the suspect was arrested.
According to a report from Fox News, Argentian Vice President Cristina Fernández was nearly killed by an assassin outside her home in Buenos Aires on Thursday. President Alberto Fernández, who is not related to the vice president, said the apparent assassination attempt failed because the gun did not fire.
“A man pointed a firearm at her head and pulled the trigger,” he said in a nationally broadcasted message.
Watch the video below:
A man tried and failed to shoot Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez while she was greeting supporters Thursday. Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez said the man pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. The suspect was detained seconds after the attempt. pic.twitter.com/LyIOLhJVT4
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) September 2, 2022
The Argentinian president said it was “the most serious incident since we recovered democracy” in 1983 and urged political leaders, and society at large, to condemn the attempted assassination.
The vice president, who formerly served as Argentina’s president from 2007-2015, found herself embroiled in controversy last week after a prosecutor called for a 12-year sentence as well as a lifelong ban on her ability to hold public office.
The call was made over public works corruption allegations levied at Fernández during her presidency.
The vice president has denied all charges, and her supporters have rallied behind her, gathering on the streets surrounding her home in an apparent show of support.
The president spoke shortly after a video was released on local television channels showing the assassination attempt as Fernández exited her vehicle surrounded by supporters.
CLOSE CALL: Argentina’s vice president narrowly escapes assassination attempt https://t.co/9OgOP0dDOK
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 2, 2022
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