Another attack in Colombia against an opponent: A congressman's vehicle is attacked

Colombian House representative Julio Cesar Triana, a member of the right-wing Cambio Radical party, reported that he was shot at on Wednesday while traveling on a highway in the south of the country. The politician was traveling in an official van with his work team when, he reported, armed men opened fire on the vehicle. None of the six occupants were injured.

In a video posted on his social media, Triana showed the bullet impacts on the front and rear windows of the van, while recounting that the attack occurred as he left the municipality of La Plata, in the department of Huila.

The area where the attack took place is known for the presence of former FARC dissidents, National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas and common crime groups.

These types of routes, which connect small towns in Colombia, often pass through areas that are difficult to access and, in many cases, are exposed to the presence of illegal armed groups. The absence of patrols and the delay in official reaction increase the vulnerability of those who travel along them.

Political reactions

The Cambio Radical party condemned the event, blamed Gustavo Petro's government, and stated that the congressman's vehicle was "totally destroyed" by the shots. The party also regretted that this new attack occurred shortly after the murder of senator and presidential pre-candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, who died after being shot at a campaign rally in Bogota.