A man has been arrested after attempting to shoot Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina's vice-president and former president, at point blank range outside her home in Buenos Aires on Thursday.
Kirchner was unharmed in the incident, which was captured camera. The video footage shows Kirchner meeting her supporters when a man is seen extending his hand and pointing a weapon at her head at point blank range. The man then pulls the trigger but no bullets are fired.
The vice president ducked as supporters surrounding the person appeared shocked at what was happening amid the commotion in the Recoleta neighborhood of Argentina's capital. The suspect was immediately taken into custody a few seconds later.
Suspect Identified as Brazilian National
The suspect was identified by Argentina's official news agency Télam as Brazilian national Fernando Andrés Zabak. He was taken into custody by Argentina's Federal Police.
Supporters of the vice president have been gathering in the streets surrounding her home since last week, when a prosecutor called for a 12-year sentence for Fernández as well as a life-long prohibition in holding public office as part of a case involving alleged corruption in public works during her 2007-2015 presidency.
When Fernández leaves her apartment every day at around noon, she greets supporters and signs autographs before getting in her vehicle to go to the Senate. She repeats the same routine every evening.
President: Assassination Attempt Failed Because the Gun Jammed
President Alberto Fernández said the assassination attempt failed because the gun did not fire. He said in a national broadcast that the firearm had five bullets "and didn't fire even though the trigger was pulled." He called it "the most serious incident since we recovered democracy" in 1983 and urged political leaders, and society at large, to repudiate the incident.
Kirchner served as President of Argentina from 2007 to 2015, before taking office as vice president in 2019.
