Sigfredo Marquez (left) and his daughter, Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez in a photo composition. Photo: Noticias y Respuestas.
This Sunday on Father’s Day, Sigifredo Márquez Trujillo, the father of the Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez, suffered an armed attack while traveling in a vehicle on the road that leads from Suárez, Cauca, to JamundĂ, Valle del Cauca. The Presidency of Colombia strongly condemned the attack.
Fortunately, Márquez was unharmed and was transferred by a National Police helicopter to the city of Cali, where they provided him with all the necessary support.
The attack occurred in the town of Robles, JamundĂ, Valle del Cauca department. Francia Márquez’s father, Sigifredo Márquez Trujillo, was attacked while he was traveling in a vehicle that was hit by four bullets. The Cali Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident and will conduct the relevant investigations.
Me duele el corazĂłn, que justo en este dĂa, hayan atentado contra mi padre.
Informo que mi padre, junto a mi sobrino de 6 años y los dos hombres de protecciĂłn, sufrieron un atentado en la vĂa Suárez-Cali, a la altura de Timba, afortunadamente salieron ilesos del ataque y se…
— Francia Márquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) June 16, 2024
The information was released by Vice President Márquez through social media, where she asked the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office to begin the necessary investigations to clarify this unfortunate terrorist action. She also urged the Ministry of Defense to “take the necessary measures to strengthen the presence of military and police forces, which contribute to guaranteeing security in Cauca and Valle del Cauca.”
“In these difficult times, I call on all of Colombia to join the necessary efforts to lead our society to peace. If we work in unity, we can turn this page of pain and violence,” Márquez added.
From the Presidency of Colombia, President Gustavo Petro stated in a statement that “the attacks against the civilian population are a flagrant violation of international rights and human rights. It is unacceptable that armed groups operating in the area continue to use disproportionate violence and terror as tools of war.”
President Petro announced that “the military forces will continue on the offensive against all the structures that persist in the war and continue to hinder the path of peace in Colombia. These groups will continue to bear the full weight of the law.”
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Venezuela and ALBA-TCP solidarity
From Venezuela, Vice President Delcy RodrĂguez condemned this “cowardly attack” through social media.
“Venezuela condemns [the] cowardly attack against the father and family of the vice president of Colombia, Francia Márquez, to whom we extend our solidarity,” wrote RodrĂguez.
On behalf of the regional bloc, the executive secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, also expressed his solidarity with the Colombian vice president.
In a message published on social media, Arreaza reiterated ALBA-TCP’s position to advocate for comprehensive peace and the cessation of political violence in Colombia. “Our hug for the vice president, her family, and the brother government of Colombia,” he wrote.
(RedRadioVE) by Victoria Torres with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
