Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the former Argentine president under investigation for a corruption scheme, was waving to a crowd showing her support in the face of judicial investigations, when a man brandished a pistol just inches from her face, and pulled the trigger. Inexplicably, the gun didn't fire; it may have been jammed. The moment was captured by a bystander with cell phone camera.
Assassination attempt on Argentina's vice president Cristina Kirchner, gun fails to fire. Assailant, 35-year-old Brazilian, has been arrested.pic.twitter.com/0UWlNL6DBI
- Uki Goñi (@ukigoni) September 2, 2022
The most serious event in Argentina's democratic history
The Argentine president, Alberto Fernandez, has said about this failed act: "This event is of enormous gravity, it is the most serious that has happened since we have recovered our democracy." This means comparing it with some of the most relevant historical events in recent Argentine history, such as the attacks against the Israeli embassy and against the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, with 23 and 85 deaths respectively, or the death of prosecutor Nisman whilw he was investigating the corruption of the Kirchners.
Fernandez has also stated: "In the context of a massive presence of people in front of the vice-president's home, a man pointed a gun at her head and fired. Cristina remains alive because, for a reason not yet technically confirmed, the gun, which had five bullets, did not fire despite having been triggered."
"Erratic, inconsistent and chameleon-like."
"Tedi," the man who pulled the gun in front of the former president, is named Fernando André Sabag Montiel. He is a 35-year-old Brazilian. Infobae describes the man who got close to Cristina Kirchner as follows: "Those who knew him in his neighborhood, Villa del Parque, define him as erratic, inconstant and chameleon-like, prone to saying 'foolish things'." The government has yet to comment on what may be behind this act. But the Minister of the Economy, Sergio Massa, has a theory about the background of what this "erratic, inconstant and chameleon-like" man has done: "When hatred and violence prevail over the debate of ideas, they destroy societies and create situations like today's: an attempted assassination."
When hatred and violence prevail over the debate of ideas, they destroy societies and generate situations like today's: an attempted assassination.
All my solidarity to @CFKArgentina and her family. And my wish that all responsibilities be determined.- Sergio Massa (@SergioMassa) September 2, 2022
12 years imprisonment and permanent disqualification
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who served as Argentina's president from 2007 to 2015, faces serious corruption charges for which she could end up paying a 12-year prison sentence, plus permanent disqualification from holding public office. Kirchner says she is innocent, and blames the judicial action on political motivations.
President Alberto Fernandez threatened the prosecutor in the case, Diego Luchiani, with a suicide like the one blamed on the other prosecutor who investigated the Kirchner corruption scheme, Alberto Nisman:
If someone is thinking that there is someone thinking of killing the prosecutor (Diego) Luciani.... What I would give the prosecutor is some treatises on criminal law, because no matter how much he shouts justice or corruption, he said an endless amount of legal nonsense. Really, to encourage the idea that what happened to Nisman could happen to prosecutor Luciani... up to now, what happened to him was that he committed suicide, nothing else has been proved. I hope that prosecutor Luciani does not do something like that.
