On Friday, a helicopter carrying Colombian President Ivan Duque and other ministers was shot near the Venezuelan border.

After a helicopter carrying the President of Colombia and other government officials crashed, US President Joe Biden expressed support for Colombian President Ivan Duque. Was fired late last week Close to the Venezuelan border.

The White House said in a statement on Monday that Biden called Duke “to express US support after the attack.”

The helicopter was hit by multiple bullets while traveling through the Catatumbo region of the country to Cúcuta, the capital of Northern Santander.

There were no reports of injuries, and the Colombian government later proposed Nearly $800,000 in rewards Any information that helps catch the perpetrator.

The attack happened on Increasing violence In Colombia, it is home to several armed groups. Colombian Watch Group Indepaz said over the weekend that 45 massacres have been recorded so far this year-killing three or more people in one incident.

Authorities often blame armed groups for violence—including dissidents who rejected the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the FARC rebels.

Colombian President Ivan Duque speaks during an interview in Bogotá in March [File: Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]

The country has also been hit Mass anti-government protests Since April, a tax reform proposal has been rejected for disproportionately harming the country’s middle and working classes.

Colombian police has Accused of “serious” abuse In their efforts to quell the demonstrations, they aroused criticism from rights groups and other observers. It is believed that dozens of people were killed in the protests.

The White House stated in a statement that Biden also “expressed support for the rights of peaceful protesters, emphasized that law enforcement must comply with the highest standards of accountability, and condemned wanton violence and vandalism.”

The statement said that the President of the United States “reaffirmed the enduring partnership between the United States and Colombia” and also pledged to donate 2.5 million coronavirus vaccines.

Like other countries in Latin America, Colombia is currently experiencing another wave of COVID-19 pandemic. According to statistics from Johns Hopkins University, so far, the United States has registered more than 4.15 million cases and more than 104,600 people have died of the virus.

A poll last month found that Duke was Least popular president In Colombia’s history, 76% of respondents said they disapprove of his record.