Argentina in shock after the assassination attempt on Cristina Kirchner

A supporter of Cristina Kirchner photographed in Buenos Aires this Friday, September 2, 2022, the day after the assassination attempt on the Argentine vice-president.

AFP - LUIS ROBAYO

Text by: RFI Follow

4 mins

In Argentina, many demonstrations were planned for this Friday, September 2, in support of Cristina Kirchner.

The vice-president was attacked Thursday evening downstairs from her home in Buenos Aires by a gunman who aimed at her at close range while she was surrounded by her supporters.

The assailant probably pulled the trigger, but luckily, no shot was fired.

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The emotion remains very strong in Argentina after

.

Regardless of everyone's opinion of the vice-president, a divisive personality to say the least, the entire political class condemned the attack, notes our correspondent in Buenos Aires,

.

This was qualified by the courts as attempted murder, since the man pulled the trigger, a few centimeters from the face of the vice-president.

But the bullet did not go and the aggressor was brought under control and arrested.

According to the Argentinian newspaper

, his name is Fernando Andrés Sabag Montiel, " 

 ", of Argentinian mother, residing in the country for years, and he " 

 ".

According to the study of his social networks, he regularly frequents conspiracy sites.

Hence the fact that one might think that the attack could be the work of an unbalanced unaccustomed to weapons and acting alone.

The event is on the front page of the Argentine press,

reports

, from the international service of RFI.

A photo, impressive, shows a pistol in the foreground, pointed at the face of Cristina Kirchner, smiling, who has not yet seen it.

Photo published by the Telam news agency, showing the armed hand of the attacker of Cristina Kirchner, in front of her residence in Buenos Aires, September 1, 2022. AFP - -

The Kirchnerists, and more generally the Peronists, accuse the opposition, the media and the judiciary of having aroused a climate of hatred against the former head of state.

Cristina Kirchner is currently appearing in a trial where she is accused of corruption.

A twelve-year prison sentence was requested against him.

It is this climate, according to the kirchnerists, which would have armed the arm of the shooter.

The newspaper 

 nevertheless asserts that “an

 »

►To listen: Attempted assassination of the Argentine vice-president: Kirchner "divided by his political style"

Argentinian President Alberto Fernández declared the day a public holiday, to allow the population to show solidarity with his former president and current vice-president.

He also reacted, in a televised address:  

This event is extremely serious, it is the most serious since we restored our democracy.

Argentina doesn't have a minute to lose.

Hurry up.

It is necessary to banish violence from political and media discourse and from our life in society.

I call on all Argentines and all Argentines, all political and social leaders, I call on the media and society in general, to reject all forms of violence.

We must refute and even repudiate all disqualifying, stigmatizing and offensive words that only divide us and pit us against each other.

Alberto Fernández, President of the Argentine Nation

Joris Zylberman

This is also what many of those who called for demonstrations this Friday think.

The newspaper 

reports that “

” in the country.

The initiative was launched overnight by the ruling center-left coalition.

Around 8 p.m. (French time), some columns had already been launched towards May Square, in front of the Casa Rosada, the Argentine presidential palace, suggesting a massive crowd at the end of the day.

The supporters of Cristina Kirchner, gathered this Friday, September 2 on the May Square, in Buenos Aires, in front of the Casa Rosada, the day after the assassination attempt suffered by the Argentine vice-president.

AFP - JUAN MABROMATA

For Denis Merklen, professor of sociology at the new Sorbonne, director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Latin America (IHEAL), this situation results from a climate of tension that has reigned for a long time already.

These are the consequences of a total disorganization of Argentine society.

Remember that, until twenty or thirty years ago, Argentine society was one of the most integrated societies on the South American continent.

Today, it is no longer so, due to a terrible economic crisis in 2001, which almost completely disrupted society.

It then oscillated between conservative and ultra-liberal governments and populist governments inspired by Peronism, rather progressive.

Political stakes are just the swings of a pendulum swinging from one side to the other, expressing the division of society.

Denis Merklen, professor of sociology at the Sorbonne Nouvelle, director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Latin America (IHEAL)

Jean-Baptiste Marot

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• Argentina

• Cristina Kirchner

• Alberto Fernández