The story of Ernesto Macías, who was with President Duque in the helicopter shot in Cúcuta

Last Friday, June 25, the country’s information warned of an armed attack against Colombian President Iván Duque. While flying over Cúcuta, north of Santander, the helicopter he was traveling in was attacked with firearms. No serious material damage was recorded in the events, and none of the occupants of the aircraft were injured, however, Ernesto Macías, who also accompanied the president, spoke of the moments of tension experienced by the head of state, and his companions, during the harassment which is already the subject of an investigation. In an attempt to clarify what happened, Diego Molano, Colombian Minister of Defense, offers up to 3,000 million pesos to who gives valuable information to find the culprits.

“We are offering a reward of up to $ 3 billion for information that helps us locate those responsible. We call for the union of Colombians with the Public Force to jointly defeat terrorism (…) We will not spare our efforts with our public forces until we capture those responsible who have affected and who have sought to affect the institutions of Colombia ”, Diego Molano assured via his Twitter account.

According to what Senator Macías commented, in an interview with Noticias Caracol, it was 3:45 p.m. Friday afternoon when they were alerted to an attack on the entourage. At that point, and for ten or fifteen seconds, Macías said, there were moments of panic. According to what was recalled by the former Colombian Congress President, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk of the Colombian Air Force (FAC) received the impact of six bullets, but, due to the tension of the attack, he assured that he felt that there were more than six projectiles.

“The governor of Norte de Santander told me that they were shooting at us (…) I asked one of the officers who was traveling with us and He made me understand that we had to stay calm, that it was not serious (…) so we proceeded ”, Ernesto Macías expressed in his dialogue with the information program.

The gunfire, which occurred 1.2 kilometers from the runway at Cúcuta Airport, near a wooded area and four neighborhoods, caused minor damage to the helicopter. The shots, according to the first hypotheses of the competent authorities, would have come from neighboring sectors such as La Ermita, Toledo Plata, Virgilio Barco or La Conquista.

Macías revealed that, faced with the attack, the pilots chose to land in emergency conditions and thus put the crew to safety. “When we landed, the pilot got out, inspected the helicopter, then opened the president’s door and He informed him that the helicopter had indeed been attacked. He had been hit several times. He said six, but I’ve at least felt a lot more, maybe, for now and, Of course, the biggest concern comes because it is confirmed that it was a terrorist attack.“Added Macías, supporter and member of the Centro Democrático political party.

National police reported that after the events, and after searching the area for clues as to those responsible for the attack, two rifles and ammunition were found. The director of the national police, General Jorge Luis Vargas, explained that the weapons were in the area known as La Conquista. “This is an AK-47 with a registration number that is already wanted by experts from the National Police and the Prosecutor’s Office, and a 7-62 caliber FAL rifle with the markings of the Venezuelan armed forces. “he commented.

Information from the newspaper El Tiempo explains that the AK-47 rifle that the police placed in a lot next to the runway at Camilo Daza airport in Cúcuta has a gasoline reloading system, in addition It has the capacity to launch 600 rounds per minute and a range of 443 meters in semi-automatic mode and 302 in automatic. On the other hand, the 7-62 FAL rifle, marked by the Venezuelan armed forces, has a cadence fire rate of 700 rounds per minute, and has a range of a minimum of 600 meters and a maximum of 1,860 meters.

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