Colombian President Gustavo Petro Says He Survived an Assassination Plot

Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on Tuesday that he had avoided an assassination attempt hours earlier, following months of warnings about a drug traffickers’ alleged conspiracy to target him.

Petro’s chopper was unable to land on the Caribbean coast due to fears of unspecified persons “shooting” at it, he stated.We went out to sea for four hours, and I ended myself somewhere we weren’t supposed to be, escaping death,” Petro stated during a live streamed cabinet meeting.

Petro’s accusation came amid a surge in violence months before presidential elections in a country plagued by decades of guerrilla and other violent conflicts.

Petro, who is constitutionally forbidden from seeking a second term, has alleged that a drug cartel has been plotting to kill him since he took office in August 2022.

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The claimed scheme involves drug lords and warlords like Ivan Mordisco, who leads the largest group of dissidents who defected from the FARC guerrilla army after it decided to disarm under a 2016 peace agreement.

Colombia has had a lengthy history of assassinating leftist leaders, including presidential hopefuls.

Petro, South America’s first socialist president, reported another attempted assassination attempt in 2024.

According to Gustavo Petro : Helicopter diverted amid shooting fears.

According to Petro, his helicopter was about to land on the Caribbean coast when security officers warned it could be targeted.

As a result, the airplane diverted over open water for hours before arriving safely.”I don’t remember why we did it, but we did it,” he said of the choice to continue flying offshore, adding that the move likely prevented a devastating strike.

The government has disclosed little facts regarding the incident, and no official threat assessment has been made public.

The President has not blamed any specific organisation for what happened on Monday night.

Colombia has a long history of attacking left-wing leaders and politicians, dating back to the fight between guerrilla movements, paramilitary groups, and the state.

Miguel Uribe Turbay, a senator and presidential candidate, was shot and killed during a campaign rally in June 2025. Petro is constitutionally forbidden from pursuing a second term, but he remains a key figure in determining Colombia’s political path ahead of the next election cycle.