Drones and gunfire attack Colombia town hall; no injuries reported

The mayor's office in Rioblanco, a municipality in Colombia's Tolima department, came under attack Sunday with drones and gunfire. Regional governor Adriana Magali Matiz reported the incident, stating that no one was harmed because it was not a workday.

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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.

"What is urgent right now is to protect lives. 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. She expressed deep concern over the attack, pointing to illegal armed groups, specifically FARC dissidents operating in the area, as the likely perpetrators.

Matiz asserted that the criminals aim to instill fear and disrupt the peace of the residents but vowed that their actions would not subjugate the citizenry. Videos shared by the governor showed smoke emanating from one of the town hall's facades, with sounds of gunfire in the background. "Rioblanco needs all institutional capacity right now to restore tranquility and guarantee the safety of its inhabitants," she added.

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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.

Colombia has been experiencing a surge in violence and explosive attacks across the country. This incident follows a pattern of unrest, with the Ombudsman's Office urging preventative measures against such attacks. Between Friday and Saturday, "attacks, harassments, and incidents related to explosive devices" were reported in several departments, including Cauca, Nariño, Cesar, Antioquia, Tolima, Huila, Arauca, Caldas, Bolívar, Meta, and Guaviare. The most severe incident occurred in San Roque, Cesar, where a police station was 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 right now to restore tranquility and guarantee the safety of its inhabitants.