Argentine congressional candidate shot
Argentina's mid-term elections were shaken last night by the shooting of Miguel Arias, a provincial legislator and congressional candidate in Corrientes Province for the ruling, center-left Front for All coalition.
Arias, 71, was shot at an estimated distance of around 200 ft, reportedly from a .22 caliber air rifle - a popular weapon among rural landowners, many of whom are staunch opponents of the Front for All.
According to Corrientes Teaching Hospital authorities, where Arias was flown, no vital organs were impacted and he is in guarded but stable condition.
The incident took place around 7:00 p.m. local time in rural Tapebicuá, as Gloria Pared, candidate for Tapebicuá deputy mayor, spoke during a small rally ahead of Sunday's first-round elections in the province.
Arias was sitting on the dais with fellow Front for All candidates when he was seen clutching his abdomen at the liver. The shot had apparently been fired with a silencer.
“It is striking that they did not find who shot him,” Front for All gubernatorial candidate Fabián Ríos said. "It's a very small town, and it's inexplicable that it was not immediately detected who it was.”
Arias was driven to nearby Paso de los Libres - his hometown - where he received diagnostic surgery. He was later flown to Corrientes (the provincial capital) to undergo further surgery.
Argentine Security Minister Sabina Frederic flew to Corrientes Province earlier today, and ordered that Arias be guarded by federal - rather than provincial - police.
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Provincial Legislator and center-left Front for All congressional candidate Miguel Arias, who was shot last night just days from Sunday's first-round elections in Corrientes Province - in NE Argentina.
The apparent use of a rifle with scope and silencer - a popular weapon among local landowners - and the lack of statements from Argentina's right-wing opposition have added to the intrigue around the incident.
Arias' shooting was the highest-profile attack on an Argentine politician since the May 2019 murder of Congressman Héctor Olivares, who was shot in a case of mistaken identity.
“In the rule of law, political violence is inadmissible,” President Alberto Fernández, who leads the Front for All, tweeted. “The provincial government must quickly clarify the fact and punish those responsible.”
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