A day after the attempted assassination of Argentine Vice President Cristina Kirchner, thousands of her supporters took to the streets in solidarity with the former head of state. Members of left-wing parties, trade unions and social movements gathered on Friday for the demonstration in Plaza de Mayo in front of the government seat in Buenos Aires. President Alberto Fernández had previously visited the vice president at home.
“Given the attempted assassination of the country’s foremost politician, no one defending the republic can remain silent or put their ideological differences above unanimous rejection,” said a joint statement read by Actors’ Association president Alejandra Darín. . “For years, a small circle of politicians and the media have repeated a discourse of hatred, slander, stigmatization and criminalization of any popular politician or proponent of Peronism.”
Man pointed gun at Kirchner
Government sources say the former head of state narrowly escaped an assassination attempt the previous evening. As Kirchner greeted her supporters in front of her apartment in Buenos Aires’ elegant Recoleta neighborhood, a man pointed a gun at her from direct distance. According to witnesses, he pulled the trigger at least once, but did not fire a shot.
He was subsequently beaten down by Kirchner’s supporters and arrested by the police. President Alberto Fernández spoke of the most serious political incident since the end of the military dictatorship (1976-1983) in Argentina.
Vice President Kirchner is considered the real tug-of-war in Argentina’s government. Many ministers belong to their camp within the coalition. The 69-year-old is almost religiously adored by her supporters and hated by her opponents. In a corruption case, the prosecutor recently demanded 12 years in prison for Kirchner. Her followers then occupied the street in front of her apartment and got into a fight with the police.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
