Marquez, an environmental activist who rose to prominence for her opposition to gold mining in her home province, took office with President Gustavo Petro last year on promises of social change and an end to the Colombian conflict.
“Members of my security team found an artifact with more than 7 kilos of explosive material on the street of my family’s residence in the area of Yolombo in Suarez, Cauca,” Marquez said on Twitter, while who added that the device was destroyed in a controlled explosion.
The vice president’s Twitter post included pictures of what appeared to be an improvised explosive device and a police report on the incident.
“The attached report shows that it was a new attempt to attack my life. Regardless, we will not stop working every day, day after day, until we reach total peace,” she added.
Violence against politicians and activists – especially leftists like Marquez – is not uncommon in Colombia, which has been embroiled in nearly six decades of conflict between the government, rebel groups and criminal gangs founded by former right-wing paramilitaries. .
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
