The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, communicated this Tuesday that the Government will provide protection to the former candidate of Pacto Histórico Naylea Barros, after she was the target of gunfire on Monday in Santa Marta, in the northern region of the country.
De la Espriella explained on social media that "I just spoke with the commander of the Police of Santa Marta to ask for a thorough investigation that allows clarifying what happened with Naylea Barros, former candidate for the Chamber for Pacto Histórico," referring to the attack suffered by the journalist and politician linked to the party of former president Gustavo Petro.
The president announced that he will take "the corresponding measures" based on the official reports he receives about the case and emphasized that, as a first step, "the necessary protection will be provided" for Barros "while the circumstances of the case are clarified."
Likewise, he stressed that "The Government will act responsibly, without anticipating conclusions, verifying the facts and guaranteeing the rights of all, including those of the opposition, which will have full guarantees in the Era of the Tiger," in reference to his nickname, 'the tiger'.
Shooting against Naylea Barros's vehicle
Barros herself, journalist and former candidate, reported that her private car was the target of gunfire while circulating through Santa Marta, an incident that left no injuries.
In a public statement, she detailed that the car was attacked by unknown individuals who "fired several shots at the vehicle." According to her testimony, "The shots hit the left rear window, just behind the seat where I had been minutes before, before dropping off my parents and changing position inside the vehicle."
The former candidate maintains that this attack "adds to more than three months of threats, harassment, and intimidation that have also affected people close to me." For this reason, she expressed her absolute rejection of "any form of violence" and demanded that a thorough investigation be carried out into what happened.
Barros lamented the climate of violence that, in her opinion, the country is going through and expressed that "I refuse to believe that this country has preferred hatred over life. Violence cannot be used to silence those of us who think differently. I will continue to carry out my journalistic, political, and social work, because defending life, democracy, and dignity cannot be a reason for persecution."