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The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Colombian lawmaker survives attack as political violence escalates
BOGOTÁ: A conservative Colombian lawmaker narrowly avoided injury after his vehicle was shot at on Wednesday. The attack occurred the same day murdered presidential candidate Miguel Uribe was laid to rest in an emotional ceremony. Julio Cesar Triana, a prominent critic of Colombia's leftist government, confirmed the assault happened in the southern Huila region. The area remains active with dissident factions of the disbanded FARC guerrilla group. 'They attacked us, they shot at us with a rifle and a pistol... We were hit several times,' Triana said in a video shared on social media. Footage showed multiple bullet holes piercing the vehicle's windshield, though no injuries were reported. President Gustavo Petro ordered a military helicopter to evacuate Triana from the scene. Security forces reportedly engaged the assailants following the incident. Meanwhile, Uribe's widow delivered a tearful plea at his funeral, urging Colombia to confront its history of political bloodshed. The 39-year-old conservative senator was fatally wounded during a campaign event in Bogotá last June. His death has intensified scrutiny over candidate safety ahead of the 2026 elections. Independent research group Indepaz recorded 74 political candidate killings between 2016 and 2024. - AFP
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
As Colombia buries murdered senator, another lawmaker survives shooting
BOGOTÁ: A conservative Colombian lawmaker escaped unharmed after being shot at on Wednesday, the same day murdered presidential candidate Miguel Uribe was buried. Julio Cesar Triana, a vocal critic of Colombia's leftist government, said his vehicle came under fire in the southern Huila region where dissident members of the defunct FARC guerrilla group are operating. "They attacked us, they shot at us with a rifle and a pistol... We were hit several times," a visibly upset Triana said in footage posted on X. Several bullet holes could be seen in the vehicle's windshield. No one was injured. President Gustavo Petro dispatched a helicopter to evacuate Triana and said the military was engaging the attackers. At Uribe's funeral on Wednesday, his widow tearfully warned that the country must shake its dark history of political violence. The 39-year-old conservative senator was shot in June while campaigning in the capital, Bogota, and died this week of his injuries. Uribe's assassination has placed the security of politicians and candidates at the center of public discussion ahead of elections in May 2026. At least 74 candidates for elected office were murdered in Colombia between 2016 and 2024, according to Indepaz, an independent research group. --AFP
