Colombia warns of 'acts of terrorism' at president-elect's inauguration

Colombia's outgoing government has issued a stark warning of potential "acts of terrorism" targeting the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. The event is scheduled for Friday in Cali, a city in the country's southwest that has recently faced guerrilla attacks.

De la Espriella, who won the June elections on a platform of a hardline stance against illegal armed groups involved in cocaine trafficking, had requested that the inauguration be moved from Bogotá to Cali. This decision came amid heightened security concerns in the region, which is close to territories controlled by rebel groups.

Pedro Sánchez, the defense minister for the outgoing leftist president Gustavo Petro, stated that a "latent" threat of attacks exists on the day of the ceremony, which is expected to be attended by several heads of state, including the presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Ecuador, as well as King Felipe VI of Spain.

"Very likely, these criminals would seek to affect this democratic event with acts of terrorism," Sánchez told La FM radio. In response, military forces will deploy 11,000 personnel, and authorities have prohibited drone flights in Cali and nearby municipalities due to their use by guerrillas for launching explosives. Cali is situated near mountainous regions in the southwest where coca cultivation, the primary ingredient for cocaine, is prevalent. The dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla group, led by alias Iván Mordisco, operates in the neighboring Cauca department.

Initially, De la Espriella had planned to hold his inauguration in that location but cited weather conditions as the reason for the change. The president-elect, an attorney, intends to implement a military strategy against guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, and other drug traffickers who, according to experts, have grown stronger amidst Petro's peace negotiation attempts.

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Very likely, these criminals would seek to affect this democratic event with acts of terrorism.