Francia Márquez: Colombia VP says she escaped attempt to kill her

Colombian Vice-President Francia Márquez says her protection officers have thwarted an attempt to kill her.

She said they had found an explosive weighing more than 7kg (15lb) near her family home in south-west Colombia.

Ms Márquez is Colombia's first black vice-president and serves in Colombia's first left-wing government, led by President Gustavo Petro.

She survived an assassination attempt in 2019 linked to her former work as an environmental activist.

She said on Twitter members of her security team had found the device planted on the road to her family home in the village of Yolombó in Suarez, Cauca.

The device was destroyed in a controlled explosion, she added.

It was a plastic bag containing a high-powered explosive substance made of ammonium nitrate, powdered aluminium and nails, she said.

A single mother and former housekeeper, Ms Márquez rose to prominence for her opposition to gold mining in her home province.

She was running mate to Mr Petro, the former mayor of Bogotá and ex-rebel fighter, who became Colombia's first left-wing president when he was elected last year.

Since being elected, Mr Petro has negotiated with rebel groups and drug cartels to try to end decades of armed violence.