The Vice President of Colombia, France Marquezdenounced this Tuesday the discovery of an “artifact with more than seven kilos of explosive material” on the street that leads to his family residence in Suárez, a municipality located in the Cauca region, in the southwest of the country.
As reported in his official Twitter accountthe artifact “was destroyed in a controlled manner by anti-explosive personnel from the DIJIN (Directorate of Judicial Investigation).”
Members of my security team found a device with more than 7 kilos of explosive material on the road that leads to my family residence in the village of Yolombó, in Suarez, Cauca. It was destroyed in a controlled manner by anti-explosive personnel from the SIJIN. pic.twitter.com/gUpYQVOfFD
– Francia Márquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) January 10, 2023
Márquez, moreover, has attached the report that evidences this “new attempt to attack” against her person. The document argues that the “characteristics and location of the device” confirm that it was placed with the intention of injuring the Colombian vice president.
It is not the first time that Márquez’s life has been threatened. When she was not yet vice president she received a call to “settle scores” for her work as a social rights activist. Throughout her life, politics has carved out a solid career as a militant against gold mining in colombiaespecially aggressive activity in Cauca, Márquez’s native region (a department that is also located in a strategic place on drug trafficking routes).
The number of threats and attempted attacks against his person increased after his entry into institutional politics. Before the second round of the elections, in an act of closing the campaign, Márquez had to leave the stage accompanied by the security team after a green laser hit her. point while giving a speech.
Since her arrival in the Government last August, Francisca Márquez has been subjected to a high degree of violence: insults, racist and sexist comments… The number two of the Colombian Executive has made history in the country by becoming the first Afro woman to reach the vice presidency. The long history of assassinations in the Government has forced Márquez to pay special attention to his security due to his double facet as a politician and activist.
The country is currently experiencing a complex dialogue between the government and guerrilla groups and drug traffickers such as the THE N (National Liberation Army). The stagnation of the line of debate is extending the peace agreements at the negotiating table, which could alleviate this situation of insecurity experienced by the country’s public figures.
