Colombian Assassination Attempt!
Bogota, Sep 14 (EFE).-
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Saturday that it was the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, through that country’s ambassador in Bogota, who warned him of an alleged plan to assassinate him before the end of the year.
“The version came through there, through the DEA via the ambassador,” said Petro, who added that it is an operation that “is still ongoing” during a speech at the National Assembly for Social Reforms, Peace and Unity. He said the attempt was going to be made with a truck full of dynamite and gave three other versions for a possible attack.
The event, held at the National University in Bogota, brings together thousands of supporters of the president, social movements and unions this weekend to show their support for Petro.
The Colombian president has been fueling the idea of a coup and a plan to assassinate him, without pointing to anyone in particular, through messages posted on his social media and in interventions in various settings.
“Every time I win they want to get rid of me; Petro bores them, every time the people elect me, they want to overthrow me (…) They can’t stand Petro in the Presidency anymore,” he said Saturday amidst the cheers of the public:
“They put up the money to see if Petro disappears before December, and I’m going to tell you: with the money they put up they bought two dump trucks (…) and the idea they have is to fill it (one of them) with dynamite and explosives, and with inside information about my routines, blow up the dump truck as I pass by. That is the operation,” he said.
The president said those who seek to assassinate him, whom he didn’t identify, bought rifles and one of those people “told a gringo lawyer who told the DEA the whole story and who also put up another money from Dubai, owner of the emeralds in Colombia.”
Petro, emboldened before his social base, also referred to the alleged conspiracy to remove him from office through an investigation by the National Electoral Council into his 2022 campaign for possible irregularities, such as the violation of spending limits.
“Three magistrates who have no authority to decide it or authority to say that the National Electoral Council can judge me, a Colombian-style trap, what is called backstabbing,” he said in reference to what he considers to be a coup against him.
“If they unleash the coup, which is not with soldiers, not with generals, but with neckties (…) the coup will be responded to by the people with a revolution,” he said. EFE
lmg/lds