Colombian president reveals drug cartels plan to assassinate him
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According to Gustavo Petro, drug traffickers acquired two missiles intended to target his aircraft.
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro attends the swearing-in of the new National Police Director, General Carlos Triana, at the General Santander Police School in Bogota on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed on Tuesday that drug traffickers have acquired two missiles intended to target his aircraft in an attempt to assassinate him, attributing the alleged plot to the success of his administration’s efforts to combat the drug trade.
"You know that they want to shoot a missile at my plane, which the drug traffickers bought and have stored. Not one, but two missiles," Petro said during the swearing-in ceremony of Colombia’s new national police chief, General Carlos Fernando Triana.
"We know who they are, but we have to act," he added, without specifying which group might be behind the plot.
According to Colombia’s Ministry of Defense, security forces seized a record 883.8 metric tons of cocaine in 2024, a significant increase from 746.3 tons in 2023.
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