Colombian Defense Minister Iván Velásquez said Thursday that security agencies received “information” on a possible “attempt” against President Gustavo Petro planned for July 20.
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“There was information about that (…), about an attack, the details of which I will not mention any more.”the minister said at a press conference in response to a question about suspicions of an attack on the president’s security at a public event to commemorate national independence on that date. Petro arrived several hours late to the event that was being held in Bogotá.
The president arrived late due to an alert “of security that the country ignored,” explained Gustavo Bolívar, a government official and Petro’s confidant, during an event for the army’s anniversary on Wednesday. Bolívar referred to “a warning from the American embassy” that warned of a “possible danger that was being analyzed until the last minute,” although he said he did not know “any details” about what happened. The U.S. diplomatic mission in Colombia has not commented on the alert.
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The Minister of Defense, Ivan Velasquez
Mauricio Moreno / THE TIME
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“On many occasions, information of various kinds has been presented regarding possible actions that could be taken against the president.”added the Minister of Defense. These threats, he continued, have been addressed by Colombian intelligence agencies. “opportunely” and they have “taken the necessary security measures” to protect the president.
Petro, a former senator and guerrilla who fought the Colombian state before signing a peace treaty in 1990, has repeatedly expressed concern for his safety and that of his family. His vice president, Francia Márquez, He has also repeatedly denounced plans against his life and that of his family. In 2019, before taking office, she was attacked with grenades and rifle rounds for her work as an environmental activist in the department of Cauca (southwest).
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AFP
