Colombia offers high rewards after shooting at presidential helicopters

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President Duque: Protected by bodyguards

Photo: SCHNEYDER MENDOZA / AFP

After the shooting at the helicopter of Colombian President Iván Duque, the responsible investigators offered a high reward.

The national police said that up to three billion pesos (around 667,000 euros) will be paid for information on the apprehension of the perpetrators.

According to the Colombian police, the shots were fired one kilometer from the airport in the city of Cúcuta.

Two rifles - an AK-47 and one of the FAL type - as well as five magazines and 20 cartridge cases were later found there.

One of the weapons was marked by the armed forces of Venezuela, investigators said.

The Blackhawk helicopter was shot at while approaching Cúcuta, on the border with Venezuela.

In it sat the conservative head of state Duque as well as Colombia's defense minister, the interior minister, the mayor of Cúcuta and a governor.

Nobody was hurt.

In a video from the television station RCN, six bullet holes were seen on the helicopter. The Blackhawk-type machine was hit on the fuselage, rotor and stern. "The cowards who attacked the president and the government team should be scared," wrote Defense Minister Molano on Twitter. The US government condemned the attack on Duque. His political opponents also sided with the head of state.

Duque himself spoke of an attack after landing and made a connection with the government's fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime.

It was not until June 15 that a bomb attack was carried out on a military base in Cúcuta, with more than 30 injured.

The government of the South American country blamed the guerrilla group ELN for this.

The rebels rejected this.

Colombia accuses Venezuela of supporting the ELN

rai / dpa