Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday (local time) said that he escaped an assassination bid while traveling by helicopter with his daughters, after claiming for months about an alleged plot to target him, reportedly by drug traffickers, Al Jazeera reported.
In a video message, Petro said that his helicopter on Monday (local time) failed to land at a destination on Colombia’s Caribbean coast due to fears that unspecified people “were going to shoot”.
The Colombian President’s assassination claim comes at a time when the country is reporting a massive surge in cases of violence ahead of the presidential elections, scheduled for 31 May. Colombia is marred by a years-long conflict between the guerrilla and other armed groups.
Changed plans due to threat to my safety, says Petro
In a report carried by public broadcaster Radio Nacional de Colombia, Petro said, “Last night, I couldn’t land because I was informed that they were going to shoot at the helicopter I was traveling with my daughters.” He further added, “They didn’t even turn on the lights where I was supposed to land.”
He made these remarks at a Council of Ministers meeting in the Cordoba Department. Situated in the north of the country, it is a region where torrential rains and flooding have resulted in a humanitarian emergency. Speaking at the meeting, the Colombian President said he was forced to change his plans drastically due to threats to his safety.
“I’m trying to escape being killed. That’s why I couldn’t arrive on time last night, because I couldn’t land where I had said. This morning, I couldn’t land where I was supposed to either, because there was information that the helicopter was going to be shot at,” Petro said.
The Colombian president said his helicopter diverted toward open waters for nearly four hours before landing at an alternate location, with multiple last-minute adjustments made to his itinerary and flight path.
The public broadcaster reported that the head of state confirmed that such events keep him in a state of permanent alert. The head of state also linked these actions to some other events, which, according to him, have been occurring since October 2025.
Petro previously reported assassination attempts
In 2024, the Colombian President reported an assassination attempt. He also claimed that he has been on the radar of a drug-trafficking cartel ever since he assumed office in August 2022.
According to AFP, authorities believe the suspected assassination plot may involve powerful drug traffickers and armed faction leaders, including Iván Mordisco, who leads the largest group of former FARC rebels that rejected the 2016 peace accord and continued operating outside the agreement.
Colombia has a history of political violence, with several left-wing figures and presidential hopefuls having been killed over the years.
Presidential election candidate Turbay shot in June
In June 2025, a presidential election candidate, Miguel Uribe Turbay, was shot at a rally by a 15-year-old. The 39-year-old Colombian Senator was hit by three bullets and had to undergo multiple surgeries before he died on 11 August.
