(Image: Interior Ministry)

Colombia’s government and security forces said that they have more than doubled the number of bodyguards for presidential candidates in response to the assassination of a far-right primary candidate.

In a post on social media platform X, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said that his department “doubled the protection capacity: we went from 229 to 520 policemen and members of the National Protection Unit.”

Throughout the country, 6,351 policemen and 96 army platoons will provide additional security for campaign events, said Sanchez.

The defense minister met with Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, who has been put in charge of security ahead of the congressional elections in March and the presidential elections in May and June next year.

“Our commitment is to shield democracy,” said Benedetti.

Today we can tell the country that the presidential candidates have real guarantees: 194 people from the UNP, 326 police officers, 32 conventional vehicles, 75 armored vehicles, and 56 protective vests. Our commitment is to shield democracy.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti

The assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe, who was fatally shot at a campaign event in June, increased criticism on the government’s ability to protect candidates against dark forces that may want to attack them.

Conservative and far-right parties revoked their confidence in the government as guarantor for free and fair elections, and even suggested that President Gustavo Petro was to blame for Uribe’s death.

The senator of the far-right Democratic Center party was assassinated by a gang in the capital Bogota in what appeared to be a mafia hit.

In the countryside, illegal armed groups like paramilitary organization EGC and guerrilla groups like the ELN pose a significant threat to those who want to campaign.

Organized crime and illegal armed groups have posed a significant threat to elections since an escalation of violence in the 1980’s.