Car-bomb attack targets southwest Colombia a day after conservative president takes office

A car bomb detonated at a toll plaza on Colombia's main southwestern highway Saturday, injuring two security guards and shattering windows in nearby homes. The army attributed the attack to dissident Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) factions that refused to sign a peace accord.

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they have two paths: submit to the rule of law or confront the security forces.

The explosion occurred just one day after Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative political newcomer, was inaugurated as Colombia's president. During his swearing-in ceremony, he declared that illegal armed groups would face a choice: "submit to the rule of law or confront the security forces."

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lift them out of bed

The blast targeted a critical road connecting the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, a region whose capital, Cali, hosted the presidential inauguration. Residents described being jolted awake by the blast wave, with some children sustaining minor injuries from flying glass.

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This is not an isolated incident; it is systematic

Cauca Governor Jorge Octavio Guzmán characterized the attack as "systematic" and aimed at isolating the department. Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation condemned the violence, vowing that "Colombia will not kneel before violence." In a separate move Saturday, President de la Espriella announced the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to previous peace talks to maximum-security prisons, seeking to curb the influence of criminal organizations within the correctional system.

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Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions