Colombia’s former president Alvaro Uribe claimed Monday that he has been warned about an international conspiracy to assassinate him.
The former president and current senator is the latest of multiple prominent politicians who claim to be the target of illegal armed groups.
“I was contacted by the Interior Minister in the name of the President of the Republic, he asked me to speak with the director of the National Intelligence Agency. Colonel Juan Carlos Rico, the director of this agency, gave me information about a possible attack against me, in which local and foreign criminals would be involved,” claimed Uribe.
Conservative former President Andres Pastrana, and ally of Uribe, told Blu Radio that Cuban and Venezuelan officials were involved in the alleged plot.
Pastrana was reprimanded by Interior Minister Guillermo Gaviria, who told press that the former president was “using information that the National Intelligence Agency has about alleged attacks … for political purposes.”
Interior Minister Guillermo Gaviria
Uribe himself thanked authorities for flagging the alleged plot.
“I must express my thanks to the Government, its security agencies and the Armed Forces for the protection I receive,” Uribe said.
A Cuban national who was arrested in Bogota in March told W Radio last week that he planned to carry out attacks against the Cuban embassy and leftist presidential candidate Gustavo Petro and the leader of the demobilized FARC guerrilla group, Rodrigo Londoño.
Following this claim the government announced it would increase protection measures of the leftists.
Cuban man says he plotted to attack ‘extreme left’ in Colombia
Uribe-loyal presidential candidate Ivan Duque and former Vice-President German Vargas claimed last week they had also received information about alleged assassination attempts.
Colombia’s conservative presidential candidate says ‘cell’ planned letter bomb attack
The political climate in Colombia has been polarized due to an ongoing peace process with the former guerrillas and presidential elections later this month.