Colombian vice presidential candidate denounces act of intimidation

The Colombian vice-presidential candidate for the Historical Pact, Francia Marquez, denounced on Saturday night to have been victim of an act of intimidation when she was giving a campaign speech in Bogota, the capital of the South American country.

The Colombian politician was on a stage in the Journalists Park in Bogota, when from a nearby building a laser began to point at her, so elements of her security protected her and took her down from the stage.

"During the commemoration of the Afro-Colombian Day, they wanted to intimidate me by pointing a laser at me from a nearby building," Márquez denounced in a message she posted on her official Twitter social network account.

"They will not silence us!  Our struggle is and always has been against all types of violence that seek to sow fear in us.  Peace will win!" said the running mate of presidential hopeful Gustavo Petro, who is leading the polls ahead of the elections next Sunday, May 29th.

The candidates of the leftist coalition Historical Pact have denounced on several occasions to have received several threats during this electoral process.  Petro, while carrying out this Saturday his campaign closing in the city of Barranquilla, called the other presidential aspirants to a meeting this Monday to defend democracy in the face of attempts that seek to prevent the elections next Sunday.

"I here summon in this public square, in this crowded street, all the political campaigns currently in competition, the campaign of Sergio Fajardo, the campaign of Rodolfo Hernandez, the campaign of the Historic Pact, to be on alert."

"I call them to meet on Monday because on Tuesday they plan to give them a blow to the elections (...), suspend the elections, they plan to suspend the bodies that run the electoral regime in Colombia," Petro assured.

If no aspirant to the presidency of Colombia for the period 2022-2026 obtains 50 percent plus one of the votes on election day, a second round will be held next June 19th between the two most voted candidates.