Thousands Gather In Buenos Aires To Express Support For Argentine Vice President - Reports

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2022) Thousands of people have gathered for a demonstration in support of Argentina's Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who has survived an assassination attempt, the Argentine La Nacion daily reports.

On Thursday, Argentine police detained a Buenos Aires resident - Brazilian citizen Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, 35 - for attempting to assassinate Kirchner outside her home. According to local media reports, the perpetrator pointed a handgun at Kirchner, but it did not go off. The vice president was not injured during the incident.

On Friday, thousands of people, including representatives of political and social organizations, trade unions, as well as families with children, went out into the streets of Buenos Aires and gathered in the Plaza de Mayo square in front of the government building to express support for Kirchner, La Nacion said.

The city center was blocked for traffic.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez had declared Friday, September 2, a national day off.

Last weekend, several law enforcement officers were injured and at least four people were detained during demonstrations in support of Kirchner, who has been accused of corruption.

On August 22, a Federal prosecutor requested that Kirchner, a former president, should be jailed for 12 years and prohibited from holding public office indefinitely amid corruption allegations.

Kirshner is accused of abusing her authority during her presidency in 2007-2015, to steer public contracts to Lazaro Antonio Baez, a businessman and an alleged close friend, who owns a construction company.