Colombia’s president-elect alleges guerrilla plot to kill him
The team of Colombia’s hard-right president-elect on Monday alleged that guerrilla groups were plotting to assassinate the incoming leader before he takes office next month.
Abelardo de la Espriella won last month’s presidential runoff by less than a percentage point and will take power on Aug 7.
The US-backed millionaire lawyer has pledged to discard outgoing leader Gustavo Petro’s policy of negotiating peace with armed groups, favoring a crackdown over dialogue.
De la Espriella’s security team received “intelligence information warning of a possible criminal plan to make an attempt on his life” on Monday, a statement read.
Colombia’s largest active armed group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and dissident groups from the now-defunct rebel army FARC offered nearly one million dollars to “carry out an attack against the president-elect,” it said.
The statement also alleged “possible attempts at infiltration” by criminal organizations into De la Espriella’s press conferences and public activities.
It called for an investigation, insisting that the incoming leader would not amend his schedule following the threats.
Colombia is grappling with the worst wave of violence a decade after a historic peace deal saw FARC lay down arms.
Presidential pre-candidate Miguel Uribe was assassinated while on the campaign trail last year.