Buenos Aires: A person tried to shoot Argentine Vice President Cristina Kirchner close to her house in Buenos Aires on Thursday, a stunning incident that caused a wave of sympathy from Latin American leaders.

“Cristina stays alive, as a result of for a explanation why that has now not but been technically showed, the gun which contained 5 bullets didn’t hearth in spite of the cause having been pulled,” Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez mentioned in an deal with to the country.

“That is probably the most critical tournament that has came about since we restored democracy” in 1983, Fernandez mentioned.

Photos of the incident confirmed the person pointing a handgun at shut vary at Kirchner, who used to be the rustic’s chief from 2007 to 2015 and is now going through corruption fees.

The incident happened in Buenos Aires’ upscale Recoleta group.

“I noticed this arm arise over my shoulder at the back of me with a gun, and with other folks round me, he used to be subdued,” a supporter of Kirchner, who didn’t give his title, advised AFP.

Safety Minister Anibal Fernandez mentioned a suspect have been arrested on Thursday night time however investigators nonetheless had to read about the crime scene and instances surrounding the incident.

Native media reported that the suspect used to be a 35-year-old Brazilian nationwide.

President Fernandez declared Friday a public vacation to permit other folks to “specific themselves in protection of the lifetime of democracy and in harmony with our vice chairman.”

‘Cohesion’

A number of well known Latin American politicians voiced improve for Kirchner, 69, after the failed assault.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a robust Kirchner best friend, tweeted his improve Thursday night time.

“We ship our harmony to Vice President Cristina Kirchner within the face of the assault in opposition to her lifestyles,” he wrote.

“We strenuously reject this act that sought to destabilize the peace of the brotherly Argentine other folks. The good place of birth is with you, comrade!”

Chile’s President Gabriel Boric additionally tweeted out improve to Kirchner and the Argentine other folks.

“The assassination try… merits the repudiation and condemnation of all of the continent,” he mentioned. “The trail will at all times be the controversy of concepts and discussion, by no means guns or violence.”

Bolivian President Luis Arce additionally expressed his improve for Kirchner.

Throughout the nation, opposition celebration In combination for Trade condemned the tried assault on Kirchner and referred to as for a complete investigation.

“My absolute repudiation of the assault suffered through Cristina Kirchner, who thankfully used to be now not injured,” tweeted opposition chief Mauricio Macri, who used to be president after Kirchner.

“This very critical act calls for a direct and deep investigation through prosecutors and safety forces.”

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s former president now locked in a fierce election struggle, additionally slammed Kirchner’s attacker as “a fascist legal who does now not understand how to admire variations and variety.”

Court docket case

Kirchner, a legal professional through coaching who succeeded her overdue husband, Nestor Kirchner, as president, stands accused of fraudulently awarding public works contracts in her political stronghold of Patagonia.

Govt prosecutors have accused her of defrauding the state out of an estimated $1 billion and are searching for a jail sentence of 12 years and a life-time ban from politics.

Loads of activists have amassed in fresh days in entrance of her house to protest the claims.

“Not anything, completely not anything that they’ve mentioned used to be confirmed,” Kirchner mentioned closing week.

The decision in her case is predicted on the finish of the yr.

She is president of the rustic’s Senate and enjoys parliamentary immunity, granting her some criminal coverage.

Despite the fact that convicted she would now not move to jail except her sentence used to be ratified through the rustic’s Perfect Court docket, or if she loses her Senate seat on the subsequent elections on the finish of 2023.