Colombian President Gustavo Petro says he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while travelling by helicopter, in what he described as a potentially deadly situation.

According to Petro, his helicopter was unable to land at its intended destination on Colombia’s Caribbean coast because authorities had information that “they were going to shoot” at the aircraft. He said this forced the flight to divert — at one point over open sea for several hours — and eventually land in a different, safer location.

Petro made the comments publicly during a live-broadcast cabinet meeting, saying that the threat to his helicopter happened while he was travelling with his daughters. He said this incident is part of a broader pattern of threats he has been warning about for months.

While the president has repeatedly stated that cartel networks and armed groups have plotted against him since he took office in 2022, officials have not released detailed evidence linking specific organizations to the recent reported attempt.

This development comes amid a spike in violence in Colombia ahead of national elections later this year, including attacks on politicians and heightened threats in several regions.