Colombian mayor's office attacked with drones and gunfire

The mayor's office in Rioblanco, a municipality in Colombia's Tolima department, came under attack Sunday from drones and gunfire. Regional Governor Adriana Magali Matiz reported the incident, emphasizing that no one was harmed due to the attack occurring on a non-working day. The governor expressed deep concern for the population and pointed to illegal armed groups, specifically FARC dissidents known to operate in the area, as the perpetrators.

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In this moment, the urgent thing is to protect life. That is why we call on the authorities to adopt immediate security measures, reinforce the presence of the Public Force, and evaluate a curfew while the situation is controlled.

Matiz stated on her X account that the criminals aim to instill fear and disrupt the peace of the residents, but vowed that their actions would not subjugate the citizens. Videos shared by the governor showed smoke emanating from one of the town hall's facades, accompanied by the sound of gunfire. She stressed the urgent need for immediate security measures, a reinforced public force presence, and a potential curfew to regain control of the situation.

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The criminals intend to sow fear and alter the tranquility of the inhabitants, but we will not allow their actions to subjugate the citizenry.

This attack is part of a broader escalation of violence and explosive attacks across Colombia. The previous day saw a police officer killed in a separate incident. The Ombudsman's Office reported that between Friday and Saturday, attacks, harassments, and explosive device incidents occurred in multiple departments, including Cauca, Nariño, and Cesar. The most severe incident in San Roque, Cesar, involved a police station being attacked with explosives launched from drones, resulting in the death of Sub-Intendent Argemiro Rodelo Canchila.

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Rioblanco needs all institutional capacity at this moment to recover tranquility and guarantee the security of its inhabitants.