Armed men attack presidential caravan in Colombia

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - A security delegation of Colombian President Gustavo Petro was attacked with gunfire in the Catatumbo region on the border with Venezuela, where the president plans to travel this Friday.

The advance security team was to verify the route to avoid setbacks.

The presidency issued a statement providing more details.

"The incident took place in the San Pablo sector, when at least six individuals were said to have installed an illegal checkpoint. The caravan ignored the stop, which is why they were hit by firearms," it said.

One of the vehicles did not make it past the illegal checkpoint and another got a flat tire, according to the statement. The driver was detained but was later released.

The government stated that there are no injuries or fatalities and that the trip to Catatumbo is still scheduled for Friday.

Guerrillas of the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN), former FARC fighters who rejected a 2016 peace deal with the government, and armed criminal groups involved in drug trafficking are active in the coca-producing convulsed region of Catatumbo.

A helicopter carrying former President Ivan Duque was struck by multiple bullets in an attack in June 2021 while it was flying through the Catatumbo region toward the city of Cucuta in the Norte de Santander province.

Wednesday’s events come days after President Petro announced the suspension of extradition warrants against ELN guerrilla negotiators in order to resume peace talks that were ended during Duque’s government.