On August 8, Iván Velázquez, Colombia’s Minister of Defense, announced to the press that the government had uncovered a plot to assassinate President Gustavo Petro on July 20, the country’s independence day. Velázquez stated “There was information regarding that, yes sir, of an assassination attempt. I am not going to mention the details.”
He also added that it is not the first time they have received security alerts concerning the President’s safety, and that is why the intelligence team of the Ministry of Defense works tirelessly to ensure the integrity of Petro’s life: “On many occasions, information of various natures has been presented, regarding possible actions that could be taken against the president in which intelligence has been timely and taken, moreover, necessary measures”
His public comments came in the wake of different rumors swirling over the same, sparked by Petro’s late arrival to the customary military parade on July 20. The parade which was scheduled to start at 9:00 am, was delayed for more than three hours on account of the president, sparking harsh criticism from his political opponents.
The Mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Galan, had written on X, “The soldiers and police of Colombia must be respected and thanked, today and always, for their commitment and sacrifice for this country.”
Faced with criticism, Petro said that his delay to the military parade was due to an alleged alert that came from the US Embassy: “That I arrived late? Yes. Information to be corroborated from the US Embassy, and a lack of coordination of my escort service, caused the delay.”
On August 7, in a commemorative act for the legendary Battle of Boyacá (in which in 1819 the independence forces commanded by Simón Bolívar defeated the III Division of the Spanish Royalist Army near Tunja), the director of the Department of Social Prosperity (DPS), Gustavo Bolívar, succinctly said that there was a possible threat against the security of the Head of State that would soon be detailed by the government. “[The delay on July 20 was due to] a danger to [the President’s] security, a warning from the US embassy, in the sense that there was a possible danger that was being analyzed this last hour (…) I do know that there was that warning from the Embassy. I do not know if it was an attempt [against the President’s life], but they gave him a security warning,” said Gustavo Bolivar.
A spokesperson of the US Embassy in Colombia told Blu Radio, “We do not comment on private diplomatic discussions, but our collaboration on security issues with Colombia remains strong.”
This is not the first time that Petro and his government officials have been threatened. The most recognized case is that of Vice President Francia Márquez. On June 16, the vice president’s father and nephews suffered an assassination attempt, although the victims were unharmed. On July 10, Márquez’s caravan was attacked in the town of Suárez, in the department of Cauca. Fortunately, the vice president was not in the vehicle when a rifle bullet hit the security convoy.
