MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Legislator from the Argentine province of Corrientes shot during a campaign speech

Arias' term as provincial lawmaker ends in 2023

Peronist provincial lawmaker Miguel Arias was shot at during the party's closing ceremony not far from the town of Paso de Los Libres as the province of Corrientes gets ready for this coming Sunday's elñections where the offices of Governor and Vice Governor will be at stake.

The province will also renew 15 of the 30 seats in the Lower House as well as 5 of the 15 provincial senators.

Arias was attacked with a 22-calibre firearm by a person whose identity has not been yet disclosed in the small town of Tapebicuá. At the time of the attack, Arias was with Paso de los Libres Mayor Martín Ascúa and other local candidates.

Corrientes Governor Gustavo Valdés was informed of the attack Thursday evening as he was delivering his own campaign closing speech. “I strongly repudiate the attack suffered by provincial deputy Miguel Arias in Tapebicuá. In a democratic society, violence is NEVER an option. The entire @CorrientesGob is working on the fact and at the disposal of both the lawmaker and his family,” Valdés posted on Twitter.

“Without official information and clarification we hold Governor Gustavo Valdés responsible for this fact,” said José Ruiz Aragón, a national deputy for the Frente de Todos, in statements to Télam. “As an opposition in the province of Corrientes we are tired of the fact that authority is exercised with violence in campaign times,” he added.

“If this act of brutal political violence is not clarified, we are forced to think that the Government is fixing these events,” he went on. Aragón also explained that at the time of the shooting, a motorcade of political rivals Radical Civil Union (UCR) was passing by.

Arias has rushed into a hospital 30 kilometres away from Tapebicuá in a Corrientes Police car since there were no ambulances in the area. His state was described as stable was he did require surgery on his wound.