Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner was not injured on Thursday when a man with weapons published tried to shoot him but the pistol did not explode, the officials said.
The attack underlined the increasing political tension in Argentina and around the area that had made politicians anxious from Colombia to Brazil.
“A man directed firearms at his head and pulled his trigger. Cristina was still alive because, for some reason he had not been confirmed, the gun was … did not shoot,” President Alberto Fernandez said in a television speech.
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The President said the gun had been published with five bullets.
“This is the most serious event that we have been through since Argentina returned to democracy,” he said.
Fernandez De Kirchner was tried on corruption accusations and hundreds of supporters had gathered outside his home in Buenos Aires when the attack occurred.
Video footage shows a man holding an inch pistol from his head as he greets supporters.
The attacker, identified by the authorities as a 35 -year -old man from Brazil, was quickly arrested by the police and the weapons were confiscated.
Fernandez De Kirchner, who served as president for two periods between 2007 and 2015, was a figure who divided in Argentina. He could face a 12-year sentence and the possibility of disqualification from a public office for public contracts given in the early 2000s.
Fernandez de Kirchner has widely expected to run for the senate and perhaps the presidency in next year’s general election.
“When hatred and violence won over the debate, the community was destroyed and this situation emerged: attempted murder,” said Economic Minister Sergio Massa on Twitter.
Heads of state and political allies from around the region, including Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Peru’s Pedro Castillo and Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the attack in messages on Twitter, expressing solidarity with Fernandez de Kirchner and relief that Dia tidak terluka.