Explosives Destroy Colombian Toll Booth Day After President's Inauguration

An explosive attack destroyed a toll booth under construction on Colombia's Pan-American Highway early Saturday, just a day after President Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration.

The incident took place in the Mondomo sector, located between the cities of Popayán and Cali in the southwestern Cauca and Valle del Cauca regions. Unidentified individuals detonated explosives, reducing the toll facility to rubble and blocking passage on the vital highway. No casualties were reported at the time of the report.

This toll booth has been a target of previous attacks, notably during indigenous protests that disrupted its reconstruction. The destruction comes as a stark challenge to the new administration.

President De la Espriella, who campaigned on a platform of combating crime, condemned the act, stating that attacks on national infrastructure undermine progress, mobility, and the peace of millions. He issued a firm warning: "There will be no refuge, no leniency, and no impunity. The State will respond with its full capacity to regain control of the territory and defeat those who seek to sow fear."

The attack is the first known security incident since De la Espriella, an ultraconservative, took office. His inauguration ceremony, held in Cali, proceeded without incident, despite his inaugural address emphasizing a relentless fight against "drug trafficking, crime, and narco-guerrilla groups."