Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner survived an assassination attempt. Picture: REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian
Cape Town – Argentinian police arrested a man after an assassination attempt on vice-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in which his gun failed to fire.
According to Sputnik news agency, the alleged attacker a 35-year-old Brazilian national, identified as Fernando Andres Sabag Montiel, pointed the gun at De Kirchner in front of her house in Buenos Aires on Thursday.
Assasination attempt on Argentina’s vicepresident Cristina Kirchner, gun fails to fire. Assailant, 35-year-old Brazilian, has been arrested.pic.twitter.com/0UWlNL6DBI
— Uki Goñi (@ukigoni) September 2, 2022
Footage of the incident went viral, showing the accused approaching the vice-president and aiming a gun inches away from her head.
“I talked to the judge who is investigating the incident … I asked her to uncover facts … as soon as possible,” President Alberto Fernandez told the nation on Friday.
Meanwhile, a former police officer who identified himself as Fabio, pointed to a number of mistakes made by Kirchner and her guards during the incident which could have ended in tragedy. He said during the attack, the security guards failed to shield De Kirchner with their bodies, and none of them drew their weapons to protect the vice-president.
“Everyone and everything failed,” he said.
“Then, instead of immediately putting her back in an armoured vehicle after the attack, they continued to walk with her down the street as if nothing had happened,” the ex-policeman told Sputnik.
IOL