The crisis is brewing in the Argentine Football Association as reports of a failed assassination attempt emerged. All football activities in the country have been summarily suspended as police commenced an investigation into the incident.
An assassination attempt on Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has sparked widespread reactions nearly throwing the football governing structure in Argentina into disarray. All potential matches and fixtures across various tiers of the game in the country have been summarily suspended.
According to reports, Cristina Fernadez de Kirchner a former Vice President of the Argentine Football Association was returning home from a court in Buenos Aries where she is standing trial for alleged corruption; a charge she had denied. A gunman is said to have attacked Kirchner with a gun and had attempted to harm her when the weapon suddenly jammed. The attack is said to have occurred on Thursday, September 1, 2022. Kirchner is said to have escaped without harm in the process.
According to the local media, the gunman, who is said to be a 35-year-old man from Brazil, has been arrested and remanded in custody after the incident, as the Police proceeds with an investigation. Meanwhile, the suspension of all football and football-related activities takes effect from today Friday 2nd September 2022 as announced by the AFA.
“The Argentine Football Association expresses its strongest repudiation of what happened with Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner,” the football governing body said in a tweet.
“We call on society as a whole, warning that violence of any kind is never the solution.”
This fracas has offset planned and scheduled Argentina’s First Division matches which was scheduled to take place today Friday 2nd September, 2022. The scheduled matches are Rosario Central vs. Talleres, Patronato vs. Union, and Lanus vs. Tiger.
Apart from Argentina’s First Division matches, some matches have also been postponed; the third tier, thebreserve league and women championship, have all been postponed till further notice as authorities swing into action.
As the shock of the unfortunate event continue to ripple through the country, the President of Argentinal has waded into the crisis. Alberto Fernandez, who is the President of Argentina, described the incident as the worst crisis that Argentina has slipped in since the beginning of democracy in the country 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,” Al erto said.
Meanwhile, Alberto has declared today September 2, 2022, a public holiday calling on all Argentines to speak out against hate and defend life and democracy to show solidarity and support for the Kirchner.
“Express themselves in defense of life, democracy, and in solidarity with our vice president,” he said.
The Argentine Police had swing into action and have arrested the suspect and are trying to establish the motive of the action.
