Colombian President Gustavo Petro reveals new assassination plot

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro revealed a new plot to target his life on Tuesday.

"They intend to launch a missile at my plane, which drug traffickers have acquired and stored in an undisclosed location - not one, but two missiles," Petro announced during the ceremony transferring command to new police chief Carlos Triana.

In his address to over 180,000 police officers, Petro said he is aware of the masterminds behind the plot, explaining that drug traffickers seek to "eliminate me promptly because they know we're pursuing Colombia's major mafias."

This is not the first time President Petro has exposed a plot against his life. Two weeks ago, he said authorities at Bogota's El Dorado airport discovered a drone gathering intel for a subsequent attempt on his life.

"It crashed by chance with an Avianca plane and we found out. Now we know that it is not a tale. It is true," he said.​​​​​​​

Last year, Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez alleged that Petro faced a potential attack, which ultimately did not occur.