Evidence of gunshots on an SUV in Petro's staff motorcade. Photo: Colombian Army.
On Wednesday August 24, the Colombian government denounced the attack perpetrated against a convoy of presidential vehicles traveling to Norte de Santander to prepare for the visit of President Gustavo Petro.
Petro has been touring various regions of the country. His security team, made up of agents from the National Protection Unit (UNP), recently traveled to Norte de Santander.
The attack occurred on the road leading from Bucaramanga to the municipality of El Tarra, a region near the Colombia-Venezuela border, where three vehicles carrying government agents encountered an illegal roadblock set up by six armed men. Upon the vehicles’ refusal to stop at the checkpoint, the men attacked the convoy with firearms.
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“One of the vehicles failed to pass the checkpoint and another was punctured [by gun fire] Two vehicles and a driver from the UNP were detained there for a period of time, then later released,” reported a statement from the Colombian Presidential Office.
The statement added that the other cars that in the caravan managed to pass the checkpoint, and that all agents are currently under the protection of government authorities.
#Colombia Gobierno de Petro denuncia el ataque a vehículos de avanzada presidencial en el Norte de Santander.
La avanzada pertenece a la Unidad Nacional de Protección, que estaba en el sitio verificando la seguridad antes de la visita del presidente Gustavo Petro a esa región. pic.twitter.com/e3idZGQoSa
— MV (@Mision_Verdad) August 25, 2022
After the incident, the UNP, the Ministry of Defense, and other agencies launched investigations to clarify the events.
The Colombian government reported that no one was injured in the attack, and in response to the incident, officials from the army’s Second Division went to the location in San Pablo where the events had occurred.
President Gustavo Petro also spoke about what happened on his Twitter account, where he stated that this type of violence “needs to end.” A variety of irregular armed groups dedicated to cocaine production operate in the surrounding region, and Petro has been negotiating peace agreements with them.
Esto es lo que debe acabar en el país. No más violencia.
Aunque solo cosas fueron afectadas y se salvaron los seres humanos, el trabajo del gobierno seguirá empeñado en que es la hora de la Paz. https://t.co/LlPJ2rCquM
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 25, 2022
“Although only property was damaged and the people were uninjured, the government will continue to be committed to maintaining peace,” stressed the president.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KZ/KWJ/EF
