CALI, Colombia – A car bomb exploded at a toll plaza in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, a day after conservative political newcomer Abelardo de la Espriella took office as president.
The Colombian army said two dissident groups from the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, carried out the attack. The groups rejected the peace agreement that the FARC signed with the government a decade ago.
The blast hit a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway, the main road through the country’s southwest. Two security guards suffered minor injuries, according to the army.
One of the guards told authorities that a person abandoned the vehicle at the toll plaza and fled on a motorcycle.
The road connects the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, hosted de la Espriella’s inauguration on Friday.
During his inaugural speech, the new president outlined a tougher security policy. He warned illegal armed groups that they had two choices: submit to the rule of law or confront government security forces.
After the bombing, soldiers secured the toll plaza and used trained dogs to search for other explosives, the army said. Pieces of the vehicle, including its burned chassis, remained scattered around the site.
The blast also shook nearby homes. Elizabeth Zapata, 57, said the explosion woke her family and shattered their windows. She said relatives who live with several children arrived with pieces of broken glass embedded in their backs.
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Cauca Gov. Jorge Octavio Guzmán said the attack appeared aimed at isolating the department and helping armed groups maintain control over thousands of hectares.
“This is not an isolated incident; it is systematic,” Guzmán told reporters.
Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera condemned the bombing. She said authorities were working to restore traffic along the highway.
“Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions,” Noguera wrote on social media.
Government transfers 117 prisoners to maximum-security facilities
Meanwhile, de la Espriella announced the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to peace talks under the previous administration.
The prisoners were moved to eight maximum-security prisons, according to Colombia’s corrections agency. Officials said the measure aims to restore permanent control of the prisons and prevent criminal organizations from coordinating illegal activities from inside them.
De la Espriella has rejected the dialogue with armed groups pursued by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro.
The 48-year-old president had no previous political experience. He is a lawyer and businessperson who narrowly defeated progressive senator Iván Cepeda in a June runoff election.
Cepeda was an ally of Petro, whose government had promoted negotiations with armed groups.
The election took place in a deeply polarized political climate. Petro refused to recognize de la Espriella’s victory and alleged electoral fraud, despite the electoral authority’s official declaration of the result and a positive assessment from international observers.
The bombing now presents an early security challenge for de la Espriella’s government as it seeks to confront armed groups and strengthen state control in parts of the country.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press
