Versions :<12345678910Live>
Snapshot 6:Wed, Feb 11, 2026 12:00:33 PM GMT last edited by Haakan

Colombian President's Helicopter Diverted Over Shooting Threat

Colombian President's Helicopter Diverted Over Shooting Threat

Above: Colombian President Gustavo Petro addressed members of the Colombian diaspora at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, on February 5, 2026. Image credit: Oliver Contreras/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Spin

Petro narrowly escaped death when his helicopter was forced to divert over open sea for four hours after intelligence warned armed attackers planned to shoot down the aircraft at its landing site. Drug trafficking cartels and FARC dissidents led by Ivan Mordisco have been plotting to assassinate Colombia's first leftist president since he took office in 2022, continuing the country's tragic history of murdered leftist leaders.

The helicopter diversion occurred amid Petro's controversial meeting with Trump where he agreed to hunt down Gulf Clan leader Chiquito Malo, betraying ongoing peace talks in Qatar. The timing of this alleged threat conveniently coincides with election season and follows a pattern of unsubstantiated assassination claims lacking public evidence or official confirmation from security forces.


The Controversies



Go Deeper


Articles on this story



© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0