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Colombia's Petro Says He Escaped Assassination After Helicopter Aborts Landing

The president plans to relocate after months of threats linked to drug-funded armed groups ahead of May’s election.

Overview

  • In a live cabinet meeting, Petro said security feared his helicopter would be shot at in Córdoba, leading to hours in the air and an unplanned landing.
  • He said he will move to a new residence within two days to reduce the risk to his life.
  • Petro said he dismissed a police general whom he accused of trying to place psychoactive substances in his car, an allegation not independently verified.
  • Indigenous Senator Aida Quilcué was reported intercepted in Cauca and was later confirmed alive by the local mayor.
  • Colombian intelligence blames the Segunda Marquetalia for last year’s killing of candidate Miguel Uribe, underscoring a security landscape shaped by drug-financed armed groups and record coca cultivation under a voluntary eradication push.