Argentina suspends football matches after assassination attempt on vice president

Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is alive after a gun was pointed at her head

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Argentina citizens are still in shock after their vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner survived an assassination attempt outside her Buenos Aires home.

The vice president was arriving at her home in Recoleta neighborhood when a man moved through the crowd and pointed a loaded gun at her head from close range.

The would-be assassin, 35-year-old Brazilian Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, pulled the trigger but the gun jammed and did not fire. He has since been arrested.

Argentina president Alberto Fernández confirmed the incident saying during a televised address, “Cristina is still alive because, for some reason we can’t technically confirm at this moment, the weapon, which was armed with five bullets, did not shoot although the trigger was pulled.”

Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores -  Semi finals - First Leg - Velez Sarsfield v Flamengo - Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Buenos Aires, Argentina - August 31, 2022 Velez Sarsfield fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Matias Baglietto
Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Semi finals - First Leg - Velez Sarsfield v Flamengo - Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Buenos Aires, Argentina - August 31, 2022 Velez Sarsfield fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

As a result of the near tragedy, the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) suspended all football matches for Friday. President Fernandez declared Friday a national holiday.

“The Argentinian Football Association expresses its strongest repudiation of what happened with vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner,” the AFA said in a statement. “We call on society as a whole, warning that violence of any kind is never the solution.”