Man points gun at Argentinian Vice President Cristina Fernández outside her home
A man was arrested on Thursday night after he aimed a handgun at point-blank range toward Argentinian Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner outside her home.
Video from the scene shows Fernández surrounded by supporters when a man holding a pistol suddenly extended his arm and pointed at her head as she got out of her car.
The politician quickly ducked out of the way as other people in the crowd looked in horror in during the scenes in Recoleta, Buenos Aires.
Security Minister Aníbal Fernández confirmed that the suspect, 35-year-old Brazilian man Fernando Montiel, was arrested following the suspected assassination attempt.
He told local cable news channel C5N: ‘A person who was identified by those who were close to him who had a gun was detained by (the vice president´s) security personnel.
‘They set him aside, found the weapon, and now it must be analyzed.’
It’s not yet clear whether the firearm was real, or whether it was loaded when it was pointed at Fernández’ head. It’s believed the gun was a Bersa 32 caliber.
Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández had a gun held in her face as she got out of a car
A 35-year-old has been arrested after the gun was pointed at the Vice President’s face
The gun was held straight in the politician’s face
The gunman was named as 35-year-old Brazilian man Fernando Montiel
Police officers stand guard outside the house of Argentina’s Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner after she was attacked by an unidentified assailant with a gun
The minister said he wanted to be careful in providing details until the investigation continues.
Unverified video posted on social media shows the pistol almost touched Fernández’ face.
This comes after Fernandez de Kirchner asked her supporters to halt a protest on Saturday, while defending their right to demonstrate, after prosecutors requested a 12-year prison sentence for alleged corruption.
After a tense day in which thousands took to the streets to defend her and two were detained in clashes that injured seven police officers, Fernandez de Kirchner gave a brief evening speech on a makeshift stage in front of her house.
‘In a democracy, the right to freedom of expression is fundamental,’ she said. ‘I want to say thank you and to ask you to go get some rest. It’s been a long day.’
Prosecutors accused Fernandez de Kirchner of defrauding the state and involvement in a scheme to divert public funds while president between 2007 and 2015.
The largest demonstration of her supporters took place outside the vice president’s home in Recoleta, where in the early morning hours police had set up fences in an effort to prevent a large gathering.
This comes after Fernandez de Kirchner asked her supporters to halt a protest on Saturday
A police officer stands guard as a member of a forensic team works near the house of Argentina’s Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner after she was attacked
In the afternoon, the demonstrators, who claim that Fernandez de Kirchner is the victim of judicial persecution and that the fences were erected by Buenos Aires’ opposition mayor as a provocation, tore down the barriers and clashed with police. Hydrant trucks tried to disperse the crowds with water.
‘Today I woke up with the corner of my house literally besieged,’ Fernandez de Kirchner said in a tweet. ‘They want to ban demonstrations of love and support that are absolutely peaceful and joyful, which are taking place in the face of the judiciary’s already undeniable persecution.’
As a sign of support, President Alberto Fernandez later took to Twitter to criticize ‘the institutional violence unleashed by the city government.’
Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta justified the placement of fences and the actions of the police, telling a news conference that ‘the demonstration turned into a situation of violence.’
Fernandez de Kirchner leads the most hardline wing of the center-left Peronist coalition that has governed Argentina since the end of 2019.
The verdict and any potential sentence will be decided by a judge, which could take months, though Fernandez de Kirchner could appeal any decision, possibly delaying a final verdict for years