Colombian presidential candidate Petro says gang planned to attack him on campaign trail

Record ID: 1671177

  • Title: Colombian presidential candidate Petro says gang planned to attack him on campaign trail
  • Date: 3rd May 2022
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (FILE - MARCH 13, 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** WIDE VIEW OF PETRO DURING SPEECH PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS DURING SPEECH VARIOUS OF PETRO GIVING SPEECH (NOT A SOUNDBITE) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, GUSTAVO PETRO, SAYING: "The time has come in life for us to be a world power. Let's go forward, is a time to triumph, a time of victory, let's win the first presidential round." VARIOUS OF PETRO CELEBRATING WITH HIS CAMPAIGN TEAM
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2022 01:23
  • Keywords: Colombia Gustavo Petro attack gangs presidential elections
  • Location: BOGOTA AND POPAYAN, COLOMBIA / INTERNET
  • City: BOGOTA AND POPAYAN, COLOMBIA / INTERNET
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA006534502052022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Gustavo Petro, the leftist front-runner in Colombia's presidential election, on Monday (May 2) canceled events in the country's coffee region because of what his office said was a plot by a crime gang to attempt to take his life.
    Colombia’s Ministry of Defence, Diego Molado, said during a news conference that neither his office nor the national police could determine the existence of any criminal plot against the candidate of the Historic Pact (Colombian Coalition party).
    Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla and mayor of Bogota, was scheduled to travel to the region, including the city of Manizales, on Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of the scheduled vote on May 29.
    La Cordillera, which operates largely in the coffee region, has been blamed by police for the death of a local organizer of anti-government marches which swept the country a year ago.
    Petro led an opinion poll last week with 43.6% of prospective first-round votes, while his closest rival, the center-right Federico Gutierrez, tallied 26.7%.
    Petro has attracted support on his promises to right profound income inequality in the Andean country, including via a redistribution of pension savings. But investors have warned the pension plan and his pledge to halt new oil projects could put the country's economic stability at risk.
    The 62-year-old will face a divided congress if he wins the presidency, with centrist and right-leaning parties largely throwing their support behind Gutierrez.
    (Production: Javier Andres Rojas, Alfonso Duarte)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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