Shock, perplexity and multiple reactions from leaders and politicians from around the world unleashed the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during a campaign event held today in the city of Nara, in the center-east of the country.
Abe’s murder is a “tragedy for Japan and all who knew him,” US President Joe Biden lamented on Friday.
Biden, who said he was “stunned, shocked and deeply saddened” by the news, paid tribute in a statement to a man who had “dedicated his life” to serving the Japanese people.
“Even at the time he was attacked, he was involved in working for democracy,” he added. “The United States supports Japan in this time of pain. I send my deepest condolences to his family,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also lamented the “irreparable loss”, wishing the Japanese “courage” at this time, and assured that the “beautiful memories of this remarkable man will remain forever in the hearts of those who knew him”.
Shortly before, the Russian government had declared itself “deeply saddened” by the event, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, who “strongly condemned this attack” against Abe, whom he described as “a true patriot of Japan.”
President Alberto Fernández expressed his “greatest repudiation” of the assassination and sent his condolences to the loved ones of the Japanese leader.
“With absolute shock I learned of the assassination of Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan. My condolences to his loved ones and the greatest repudiation of this shocking and painful attack against democracy and peace,” said the Head of State through his Twitter social network account.
Earlier, the Argentine Government had expressed its condolences through the Foreign Ministry.
The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, decreed a three-day mourning for the murder, given that the South American giant is the country with the largest Japanese colony in the world outside of Japan.
“He was a brilliant leader, a great friend of Brazil, I extend my hand to Abe’s family, to our Japanese brothers,” said Bolsonaro, who expressed his desire that “his murder be rigorously clarified” and closed his message with a ” We are with Japan.”
UN Secretary General António Guterres lamented the “horrible” murder of Abe.
“I had the privilege of knowing him for years and I will always remember his camaraderie and his commitment to multilateralism,” the Portuguese diplomat said in a message on Twitter.
“My deepest condolences to the family of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and to all the people of Japan for the horrible murder of which he was a victim,” said Chilean President Gabriel Boric.
The Foreign Minister of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, joined the signs of pain and condemnation for the murder. “I extend to the Japanese people and government and to their families and friends the most heartfelt condolences,” he stressed on his Twitter account.
Two former US presidents also expressed their condolences: Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
The Democrat called Abe “a longtime friend and ally of mine,” and the Republican called him “a unifier like no other, but above all, a man who loved and appreciated his magnificent country, Japan.”
“Our thoughts are here at the G20 (foreign ministers) meeting, with his family, his friends. We convey our condolences to the citizens of Japan,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said from Bali. .
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lamented the event.
“Shocked and saddened by the cowardly attack on Shinzo Abe in the performance of his professional duties,” Michel posted on his Twitter account, adding that the European Union (EU) “supports the people of Japan and the current chief of staff, Fumio Kishida, in these difficult times.
For his part, the director general of the WHO was “shocked and saddened” by the attack.
Doctors at the hospital of the Medical University of the city of Nara, where Abe was hospitalized after the attack, reported that his death was recorded at 5:03 p.m. local time (5:03 a.m. in Argentina).
Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was arrested at the scene and confessed to committing the crime, a senior police official in the western Nara region said today.
Born on September 21, 1954, Abe was the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020.
