BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) 鈥 Colombian President Gustavo Petro was the target of a possible attack in July, when he took part in a public event in downtown Bogot谩, Defense Minister Iv谩n Vel谩squez said Thursday, without providing evidence or elaborating further.
鈥淭here was information about that... an attack,鈥 Vel谩squez said, but declined to provide additional details when pressed by reporters.
Petro participated in the traditional military parade on July 20 to commemorate the 214th anniversary of Colombia鈥檚 independence from Spain, after arriving several hours late to the event.
Petro said at the time that his tardiness was due to 鈥渋nformation that had to be corroborated with the United States embassy, and a lack of coordination among my security detail.鈥
On Wednesday, Gustavo Bol铆var, one of Petro鈥檚 closest allies in his cabinet, insisted to the press that the president arrived late on July 20 because there were 鈥渟ecurity concerns鈥 and a warning from the U.S. embassy.
Petro, a former rebel and , has received threats through social media since he took office in 2022, as he himself reported to the prosecutor鈥檚 office. He also received threats during the 2022 election campaign, so it was common to see him surrounded by bodyguards and soldiers when he delivered speeches in public squares.
The minister of defense said this was not the first time his office has received information about a possible attack on the president, adding there is constant intelligence activity in an effort to 鈥減rotect the president鈥檚 integrity.鈥
Petro has promoted a that includes negotiating with some of the most powerful armed groups in the country 鈥 from leftist guerrillas to smaller trafficking mafias 鈥 in an effort to get them to demobilize simultaneously.
But violence continues to be a concern in the Andean country despite the peace talks that the government is holding with armed groups including the guerrilla group and factions of the FARC dissidents who did not adhere to the 2016 peace agreement.
These armed groups are fighting for territorial control of strategic corridors for drug trafficking and illegal mining. ___
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