Pablo Ovalle Isasmendi | Agencia UNO

Chilean senator is stabbed on his way to his campaign headquarters

15 noviembre 2017 | 14:26

Chilean senator Fulvio Rossi was admitted to hospital Wednesday after being stabbed in Iquique, in the north of the country.

According to police information, Mr Rossi would have entered Iquique’s Regional Hospital unaided.

It was later confirmed that he is conscious, stable and that his life is not at risk.

In a statement, medical staff said that Mr Rossi had two injuries: one in the abdomen (due to a blade) and a head injury due to a blow to the head that left him unconscious for at least one minute.

Local authorities, such as governor Claudia Rojas, visited Mr Rossi in hospital.

Different versions

At first, preliminary information indicated that Mr Rossi was accompanied by his campaign staff, while removing political posters on a street, when two unidentified people approached him to attack him. One of them is said to have hit him on the head and that the other stabbed him.

Later, one of his closest advisors said that the senator was attacked on his way to his campaign headquarters, and that he was alone at the moment of the assault. It was there where he was, allegedly, found right after by one of his staff members.

Warnings

What is a fact is that the candidate had received even death threats since October, Paula Afani, one of Mr Rossi’s advisors, said. She added that they had reported the situation to the Public Prosecutor’s Office two weeks ago.

The assault was condemned by politicians from all parties, the current presidential candidates and President Michelle Bachelet herself.

Police confirmed the attack and, in a statement, they added that an investigation was launched. Nonetheless, no one has been arrested yet.

The Government’s press secretary, Paula Narváez, said that “the situation is being analised” and that they “are waiting to have futher details to file a lawsuit”.