Colombia Sees Fresh Election-Season Flashpoints as Senator Freed and Petro Alleges Assassination Plot

Overview

• Indigenous senator Aida Quilcué was seized in Cauca and released after several hours, with authorities saying she is safe.
• The Indigenous Guard found her abandoned vehicle, and security units escorted her to Popayán after searches in an area with FARC dissident presence.
• President Gustavo Petro said he diverted his helicopter and skipped landings in Córdoba after warnings it could be shot at, alleging a plot by a “new narcotrafficking junta” that includes guerrilla leader Iván Mordisco.
• Officials have not publicly detailed operational evidence of the alleged plot, while Petro’s comments followed the Clan del Golfo’s suspension of peace talks in Qatar.
• Election observers warn that hundreds of municipalities face risk of violence, with recent incidents including an ELN-claimed attack on a senator’s caravan in Arauca that killed two bodyguards.