Ivan Duque at the military parade commemorating Colombia’s Independence Day held at the Jose Maria Cordoba Military School in Bogotá, Colombia. (Vannessa Jimenez G/NurPhoto from Getty Images)
- Officials say that President Ivan Duque’s attack was planned by the former FARC rebel leader.
- 44 people were injured in the car explosion, including two U.S. military advisers.
- According to Attorney General Francisco Barbosa, the arrested FARC rebel leader rejected the 2016 peace agreement.
Colombia has arrested 10 people accused of participating in attacks last month on a helicopter carrying President Ivan Duque and a military base. Officials said on Thursday that the attacks were carried out by the former Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces based in Venezuela. Orchestrated by the leader of the rebellion.
A car explosion occurred at the base in the northeastern city of Cucuta, where the 30th Army Brigade is located, injuring 44 people, including two U.S. military advisers. In late June, a helicopter carrying Duke and other officials was strafed by bullets as it approached the city.
Attorney General Francisco Barbosa said in a press conference broadcast on social media that the 10 people arrested in Santander Norte were former FARC insurgents who rejected the 2016 peace agreement , Belongs to the 33rd front of dissidents.
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Barbosa said that the three were involved in the planning and execution of the two attacks and have been detained and prosecuted. The other is a retired army captain.
Defense Minister Diego Morano said at the meeting that the order to launch the attack came from the former leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operating in Venezuela.
He said these incidents show that the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro shelters the FARC dissidents, calling them “terrorists.”
Morano said:
Obviously, this attack on the President and the 30th Brigade was planned in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Colombian government has long accused Maduro of turning a blind eye to the presence of Colombian rebels on its national territory. In turn, Maduro said that Venezuela is a victim of Colombian criminals.
