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WORLD NEWS Saturday 3 September 2022
Apparent assassination attempt against VP roils Argentina

By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA the street.”
and DANIEL POLITI Following Thursday’s inci-
Associated Press dent, some of her support-
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ers pointed the finger at the
(AP) — As Argentina’s pow- opposition for what they
erful Vice President Cristina said was hateful speech
Fernández stepped from that could push people to-
her car outside her apart- ward violence.
ment building and be- Before the apparent at-
gan shaking hands with a tempt on her life, Fernán-
throng of a well-wishers, a dez had made a habit
man came forward with a of leaving her apartment
gun, put it just inches from every day around noon,
her face and pulled the greeting supporters and
trigger with a distinct click. signing autographs before
The weapon apparently getting in her vehicle to go
jammed. to the Senate. She had a
Fernández’s security de- similar routine every eve-
tail seized the gunman ning.
and took him away, and Over the weekend, her sup-
the 69-year-old former porters had clashed with
president of Argentina ap- This still image taken from a video provided by Television Publica Argentina shows a man pointing police during an effort by
peared unhurt. But the a gun at Argentina´s Vice President Cristina Fernandez during an event in front of her home in the law enforcement to clear
apparent assassination at- Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. the area, and the strong
tempt against the deeply Associated Press police presence around
divisive figure Thursday authorized to discuss the shock Friday morning. The works while she was presi- the apartment was then
night shook the country case publicly and spoke streets of Buenos Aires were dent. Some of her staunch- reduced, though her sup-
and threatened to further on condition of anonymity. quiet after the president est supporters had been porters kept coming.
roil its tumultuous political “Everything is being investi- declared a national holi- gathering daily outside her In Thursday’s incident,
scene. gated.” day in the wake of what he apartment since Aug. 22, which was captured on vid-
The gunman was identi- The country’s political lead- called “the most serious in- when a prosecutor called eo, those around the vice
fied as Fernando André ers quickly condemned the cident since we recovered for a 12-year prison sen- president looked shocked
Sabag Montiel, a 35-year- incident, with President Al- democracy” in 1983 after a tence for her and a ban on and confused.
old street vendor and Bra- berto Fernández holding a military dictatorship. holding public office ever It was not clear whether
zilian citizen who has lived late-night national broad- Allies of Fernández, who again. She has vehement- Fernández understood
in Argentina since 1998 and cast to tell Argentines just was president from 2007 to ly denied all charges and what had just happened.
had no criminal record, au- how close the vice presi- 2015, called for a march cast herself as a victim of Video appeared to show
thorities said. He was ar- dent came to being killed. in Buenos Aires to express political persecution. her covering her face and
rested on suspicion of at- The president, who is not their support and repudiate “If you touch Cristina, what ducking. But seen from an-
tempted murder. related to his vice presi- the incident. chaos we’ll make!” sup- other angle, it looked as she
Authorities shed no light on dent, said the man’s semi- No politician awakens porters had chanted. had dropped something
a possible motive and were automatic handgun was more passion in Argentina In recent days, some of her and crouched to pick it up.
investigating whether he loaded with five bullets but than Fernández, who has allies charged that her de- Even as her security detail
acted alone or was part of “didn’t fire even though both fervent supporters tractors were trying to spark went into action, Fernán-
a larger plot. the trigger was pulled.” and ardent detractors. violence, with Security Min- dez continued greeting
“There is no confirmed hy- Argentina, a country with a The left-of-center leader ister Aníbal Fernández say- supporters in the upscale
pothesis,” said a Security history of political violence, is on trial on corruption ing the opposition “is look- Recoleta neighborhood of
Ministry official who was not seemed to be in a state of charges involving public ing for someone to die on Argentina’s capital. q

Gibraltar confirms leakage of fuel from

stranded cargo ship

The Associated Press small amount of oil es- source of the leak — two
MADRID (AP) — A small caped the perimeter of a vents in the fuel tanks.
amount of heavy fuel oil boom placed to contain Fabian Picardo, the head
has leaked from a bulk any spill. A second barrier of Gibraltar’s government,
carrier ship stranded since was to be deployed to pre- explained to Spanish pub-
colliding Monday with an- vent the spill spreading. An lic broadcaster TVE that
other ship near the Bay of aerial photo of the stricken the pumping of the fuel
Gibraltar, authorities said ship showed a small slick on remaining in the tanks will
Thursday. The Captain of the outside of the boom. be carried out by the ship’s
the Gibraltar Port said the The oil is being collected by insurer.
leak is “fully under control.” two vessels from Gibraltar The extraction is set to The Tuvalu-registered OS 35 cargo ship that collided with a
Authorities announced one Port Authority and Spanish last around 50 hours. The liquid natural gas carrier in the bay of Gibraltar last Monday,
lies on the seabed off Catalan bay to prevent it from sinking in
person had been arrested Maritime Rescue. The en- ship has stored 215 tons of Gibraltar, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.
Thursday in connection vironmental impact of the heavy fuel oil, 250 tons of Associated Press
with the incident but gave spill was not immediately diesel and 27 tons of lubri-
no further information. clear. Divers sent to the ship cating oil, Spanish news The usually busy Gibraltar neighboring Algeciras port
The Port Authority said a have already sealed the agency EFE reports. Port remains closed, while is fully operational.q