Leftist Colombian presidential candidate unharmed after assassination attempt

[Judi Lynn]

Leftist Colombian presidential candidate unharmed after assassination attempt
Feb 23, 2014 posted by Adriaan Alsema

Aida Abella, the presidential candidate of socialist party Patriotic Union (Union Patriotica – UP), survived an assassination attempt while on campaign in the northeast of the country on Sunday.
General Luis Danilo Murcia, commander of the Quiron Task Force in the Arauca state, the candidate campaign caravan of UP candidate Aida Abella was shot at by two men on a motorcycle.

The statement was corroborated by Venezuela television network Telesur which accompanies the campaign. The Venezuelan television network specified that two men on a motorcycle approached the caravan and shot at the SUV in which Abella and Senate candidate Carlos Lozano.
Both were unharmed and immediately taken to an army base near the scene of the attack, reported Telesur.

“This attack against Colombia’s peace process and the right of political opposition in this country. Without guarantees for the opposition, there exists no democracy,” UP party president Omer Calderon said in a press release.

The campaign manager of the evangelical MIRA party earlier told Colombia Reports that non-established political parties do not enjoy the same level of protection as the established coalition parties after one of their congress candidates had briefly been kidnapped.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/leftist-colombia-presidential-candidate-survives-assassination-attempt/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Attackers fire at convoy of Colombia presidential candidate

Attackers fire at convoy of Colombia presidential candidate
Reuters
9:08 p.m. EST, February 23, 2014

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Gunmen shot at the convoy of a left-wing Colombian presidential candidate on Sunday but no one was injured, police said, raising tensions ahead of May elections that will center on how to end a five-decade war with guerrillas.

The convoy of Aida Avella of the Patriotic Union party came under fire when it was traveling on a highway in the oil-rich northeastern province of Arauca, where the left-wing FARC and ELN rebels have a heavy presence.

~snip~

Avella, 65, has around 1 or 2 percent support among the electorate, according to a February poll which put Santos in the lead with 34.7 percent. Earlier this month Avella denounced death threats she said had been made against her.

"This act is an attack on the peace process in Colombia and the right to exercise political opposition. Without guarantees for the opposition there is no democracy," said the head of the Patriotic Union, Omer Calderon.

More:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-colombia-attack-20140223,0,1645428.story

[sabrina 1]

2. The Right Wing is busy all over Latin America. They just can't accept the resounding rejection

of their brutal history in that region of the world. It's disturbing that this country is still unable to support the people's choices of leaders and is still supportive of the old Right Wing oligarchs in Latin America.

I am glad they are okay and hope the perps are apprehended and this time that they are dealt with as leniently as Chavez dealt with those who tried to topple his legitimate government.