Argentina vice president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner survived an assassination attempt Thursday night after a man fired a gun at point-blank range - the gun can be seen inches from her face in a video circulating online. Fortunately for Fernández, the gun misfired and the would-be assassin was swiftly overpowered by security officers and taken into custody. In the videos available online the vice president did not appear to have suffered any injury.
The video shows Fernández smiling and greeting supporters by the side of a road when a black handgun is shoved in her face and the trigger is pulled.
Fernández flinches and falls to the ground in shock before being helped to her feet. The attempted killer's face is not seen.
President Alberto Fernández (no relation to the vice president) said in a late night address to the nation that the gun was loaded but 'didn't fire even though trigger was pulled'.
{{/usCountry}}President Alberto Fernández (no relation to the vice president) said in a late night address to the nation that the gun was loaded but 'didn't fire even though trigger was pulled'.
{{/usCountry}}The Associated Press quoted a witness, Gine De Bai, as saying she heard 'the trigger being pulled'. De Bai said she didn't realise what had happened till the man was overpowered.
President Fernández called the attempted assassination 'the most serious incident since we recovered democracy' - in 1983 after a military dictatorship.
Leaders of neighbouring countries, including Chilean president Gabriel Boric, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Peru's Pedro Castillo and Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have denounced the attack and expressed solidarity with Fernández.
The gunman has been identified as Fernando André Sabag Montiel, a Brazilian citizen, AP quoted an official with Argentina's security ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Montiel does not have a criminal record and used a .32-caliber Bersa pistol.
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - who also served as president for two terms between 2007 and 2015 - is a divisive figure in Argentina. The politically powerful and influential Argentine vice president is on trial over corruption charges. She could face a 12-year jail term sentence and disqualification from public office over illegally awarded public contracts.
With input from AP, Reuters