Argentina vice-president narrowly escapes assassination after gunman's weapon jams

Argentina’s vice-president has narrowly escaped assassination bid after a gunman’s weapon jammed as he aimed at her.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was greeting supporters just outside her house when a man suddenly emerged from the crowd and pointed a handgun in her face.

Watch video here:

President Alberto Fernandez said the gun was loaded with five bullets but did not fire when triggered.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is undergoing a corruption trial and was returning from court. She denies the charges.

According to the police, the shooter, who local media identified as a 35-year-old Brazilian man, has been arrested. They are attempting to find a motive for the attack.

Addressing the nation, President Alberto Fernandez condemned the attacker and said the attempt on Ms De Kirchner's life was one of the "most serious" incidents since the country returned to democracy in 1983.

"We can disagree, we can have deep disagreements, but hate speech cannot take place because it breeds violence and there is no chance of violence coexisting with democracy," President Fernandez said.

The President also declared a national holiday on Friday to allow Argentines time to "express themselves in defence of life, democracy and in solidarity with our vice president".

The video put out by local media showed the man aiming a gun inches away from her head and appearing to attempt a shot. She then lowers her head but no shots were fired.

In another clip shared on social media, people in the crowd appear to try to block the vice-president from the suspected gunman.

Argentina's economy minister, Sergio Massa, dubbed the attempted shooting an "attempted assassination".

"When hate and violence prevail over debate, societies are destroyed and situations like these arise: attempted assassination," he said in a tweet.

Earlier, a police spokesperson told Reuters that a weapon was found a few metres from the scene after the man had been taken into police custody.

In recent times, several protesters have congregated in support outside the 69-year-old's residence in the capital while the trial is under way.

Vice-President Kirchner is accused of defrauding the state and of fraudulently giving public works contracts in her stronghold in Patagonia while she was president between 2007 and 2015.

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