Buenos Aires: Pope Francis condemned the attack on Argentina's vice president.

An assassination attempt was made against Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The police arrested a 35-year-old man of Brazilian origin and seized the weapon in his possession. The vice president miraculously escaped because his gun malfunctioned. The assassination attempt comes at a time when Cristina Fernandez is on trial for corruption.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the assassination attempt on Kirchner. Buenos Aires' historic Plaza de Mayo, next to the Casa Rosada presidential offices, overflowed on Friday with a crowd of her flag-waving supporters along with allied unions and other activists.

"Thank God and the Virgin that the bullet didn't come out," said 58-year-old teacher Santiago Bianco.

Others in the packed plaza also echoed a sense of nervous relief that a much worse tragedy was avoided.

"For us, the possibility that something like that could happen to Cristina is unthinkable," said Claudia, 37, who declined to provide her surname. "We were saved last night from something terrible that we can't even comprehend."

Several television channels had aired the footage of him pointing a gun at the vice president's head. The incident happened when Cristina got out of her car to her house in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.

Many people gathered around her house to greet Cristina Fernandez. The assailant sneaked in and pointed a gun at them. But it is reported that the attacker did not specify the reason for the assassination attempt. Various reports indicate that political tensions are increasing in Argentina.

Forensic police officers will analyze the fingerprints to get more information. The vice president was accused of corruption in the awarding of public works contracts in his stronghold of Patagonia.

Cristina was the president of Argentina from 2007 to 2015. Prosecutors want the corrupt vice president to face 12 years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics.

Opponents accuse Cristina Fernandez, who served two terms as president between 2007 and 2015, of trying to divide Argentina. Cristina Fernandez is likely to run for the Senate and the presidency in next year's general elections.