Two presidential campaign staffers killed in Colombia as elections near

Colombia’s citizens’ rights office says the violence could hinder the ‘exercise of political rights’ ahead of the May vote to replace Gustavo Petro.Two presidential campaign staffers have been killed in Colombia just two weeks before the South American country heads to the polls.The killings were announced by right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who said gunmen on motorbikes shot the victims in the central department of Meta on Friday night.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3At least 20 killed in Colombia highway blastlist 2 of 3Nine workers killed in Colombia coal mine explosionlist 3 of 3Photos: Colombia tourist jewel plagued by violenceend of listIn a post on the social media platform X, de la Esperiella said the two staffers “walked the streets defending democracy, freedom, and the hope of millions of Colombians”.“Their only crime was believing in the Fatherland and not kneeling before the violent,” the candidate added.The citizens’ rights ombudsman for Colombia identified the slain men as Rogers Mauricio Devia Escoba, a former mayor for the city of Cubarral, and his adviser Eder Fabian Cardona Lopez.The office said another attack took place against a former mayoral candidate in the area, without providing further details.While the attacks remain under investigation, the ombudsman warned that they could affect the “exercise of political rights and democratic participation” in the upcoming election on May 31.“violence, threats, and any form of intimidation undermine public debate, deepen risks for political and social leaderships, and weaken democratic coexistence,” the office said in a statement.Meta has long been a stronghold for both rebel fighters and cocaine trafficking in the country. violence and surging crime have featured prominently in the presidential race to replace the country’s first leftist leader, Gustavo Petro.