Colombia president-elect's team alleges guerrilla plot to kill him

The team of Colombia's hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella alleged Monday that guerrilla groups were plotting to assassinate him before he takes office next month.

De la Espriella won last month's presidential runoff by less than a percentage point and is due to take power on August 7. The US-backed millionaire lawyer has pledged to discard outgoing President Gustavo Petro's policy of negotiating peace with armed groups, favoring a crackdown instead of dialogue.

A statement from De la Espriella's security team said it had received “intelligence information warning of a possible criminal plan to make an attempt on his life” on Monday. The statement alleged that Colombia's largest active armed group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, and dissident groups from the now-defunct FARC rebel army offered nearly one million dollars to carry out an attack against the president-elect.

The statement also alleged possible attempts by criminal organizations to infiltrate De la Espriella's press conferences and public activities. It called for an investigation and said the incoming leader would not change his schedule because of the threats.

Colombia is facing its worst wave of violence a decade after a historic peace deal in which FARC laid down arms. Presidential pre-candidate Miguel Uribe was assassinated while campaigning last year.