Amid extreme tension in the United States, former US President Barack Obama broke his silence on Sunday, January 25, to denounce a “heartbreaking tragedy” following the death of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse shot dead the previous day by federal agents in Minneapolis, reports Le Monde . In a somber statement, the Democratic leader called for a genuine national “awakening” in the face of the abuses he sees.
Barack Obama doesn’t mince words. He urges his fellow citizens not to remain passive in the face of what he calls “attacks” against the very foundations of the nation. “It is up to every citizen to stand up against injustice, to protect our fundamental freedoms, and to hold our government accountable,” he writes, in remarks reported by the French daily newspaper.
The former White House occupant specifically points the finger at controversial law enforcement methods, referring to “the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity.” According to the statement, these tactics appear deliberately designed to “intimidate, harass, provoke, and endanger residents.”
The Trump administration’s reaction was swift. As the article notes, FBI Director Kash Patel justified the operation on Fox News, stating that “you can’t mess with law enforcement in this country and face consequences.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem went further, labeling the victim a “terrorist” and claiming he had threatened officers with a weapon.
However, this version of events is undermined by video analysis from several media outlets, which shows Alex Pretti tackled to the ground and apparently disarmed by an officer seconds before being shot dead by about ten bullets, Le Monde reports .
On the political front, the confrontation is total. Tim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, quoted by the newspaper, has turned the debate into a moral question: “Which side do you want to be on? The side of an all-powerful federal government […] or the side of a nurse who died testifying about the actions of that government?” Donald Trump, for his part, accuses local officials of inciting “insurrection” with their “pompous rhetoric,” the same source reports.
