Gunmen Kill Two Campaign Staffers for Colombian Presidential Candidate

Gunmen on motorcycles shot and killed two campaign staffers for right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia's central-west Meta Department on Friday night, officials said Saturday.

De la Espriella said the men were killed while working for his campaign. Meta is a stronghold for rebel fighters who rejected the 2016 peace accord with the now-defunct FARC guerrilla group and serves as a major route for cocaine trafficking.

The government's citizens' rights ombudsman posted on X that the killings "seriously affect" people's ability to participate in the election. Security has become a major concern ahead of the May 31 vote to replace President Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first leftist leader.

Colombia is facing a wave of killings and rebel attacks. De la Espriella and two other major candidates, including leftist front-runner Ivan Cepeda, have reported receiving death threats and now travel with heavy security. Cepeda's vice presidential running mate was kidnapped for several hours in February by rebels who rejected the 2016 FARC accord.