According to Argentina’s Security Ministry, the alleged shooter, identified as Brazilian national Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, was armed with a.32-caliber Bersa semi-automatic pistol.
A loaded weapon was pointed at the vice president of Argentina in what is being described as an attempted assassination.
Thursday night, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was threatened outside of her Buenos Aires residence.
The trigger was pushed, but no rounds were fired, indicating that the weapon jammed, before the assailant was subdued and captured.
The vice president exits her vehicle, flanked by fans, in front of her home in the posh Recoleta neighborhood of the capital, as captured on video and broadcast by local television stations.
The alleged shooter, identified as Brazilian national Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, has no criminal record, according to the Argentine Ministry of Security.
He appears to extend his hand while holding what has been confirmed to be a.32-caliber Bersa semi-automatic pistol, just as former president Fernandez raises her hand to her face and takes cover.
The suspect was subdued by security personnel within seconds.
The president of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, stated that the gun contained five bullets.
“A man aimed a gun at her head and pulled the trigger,” he stated on national television.
Mr. Fernandez stated that the weapon “did not fire even though the trigger was pressed.”
The president, who is unrelated to his vice president, described the attack as “the most serious incident since we regained democracy” in 1983, following the end of a military dictatorship.
Sergio Massa, the minister of the economy, stated, “When hatred and violence are imposed over the debate of ideas, societies are destroyed and create situations such as the one witnessed today: an assassination attempt.”
According to a police spokesman, the suspect was apprehended nearby and a weapon was discovered a few meters from the crime scene.
In recent days, hundreds of protesters have gathered in support of the former president, who is currently on trial for corruption.
She fiercely disputes the charges, which allegedly occurred during her leadership from 2007 to 2015.
The president proclaimed Friday a holiday “so the Argentine people can express themselves in defense of life, democracy, and solidarity with our vice president in peace and harmony.”
