Rep. Johnson Leads Letter on Colombia VP Security Concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) – along with eight colleagues – sent a letter to Francisco Palmieri, Chargé D’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, expressing concerns after explosives were discovered near Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez’s home this week.

“We are deeply concerned about the safety and security of Vice President Francia Marquez. Vice President Marquez is someone whom many of us have worked with for more than a decade prior to her entering government,” the members wrote. “We are eager for an update on how the U.S. Government is seeking to support the Colombian government in ensuring the safety and security of Vice President Francia Marquez and defending democracy and the rule of law in Colombia.”

Members who signed the letter include Reps. Barbara Lee (CA), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ), Rashida Tlaib (MI), James P. McGovern (MA), Ilhan Omar (MN), Mark Pocan (WI), Cori Bush (MO) and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY).

Read the full letter HERE, below and attached.

Francisco Palmieri

Chargé D’Affaires

U.S. Embassy

Bogota, Colombia

Dear Chargé D’Affaires Palmieri,

We are deeply concerned about the safety and security of Vice President Francia Marquez. Vice President Marquez is someone whom many of us have worked with for more than a decade prior to her entering government. According to her own Twitter account, she reported on January 10, 2023, that her security team found seven kilos of explosives on the road leading to her family’s house in Yolombo, Suarez, in Cauca Department. This incident occurred after press reports that her security apparatus may not be as strong as it could be.

We are eager for an update on how the US Government is seeking to support the Colombian government in ensuring the safety and security of Vice President Francia Marquez and defending democracy and the rule of law in Colombia.

Sincerely, Members of Congress

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