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Petro Labels Attackers 'Terrorists' After Deadly Car Bombing in Cauca
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡น Guatemala /Conflict & Security

Petro Labels Attackers 'Terrorists' After Deadly Car Bombing in Cauca

From Prensa Libre · (4h ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Colombian President Gustavo Petro labeled the perpetrators of a car bomb attack in Cauca as "terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers."
  • The attack, which occurred on April 25, killed at least seven civilians and injured 17 others, impacting several vehicles on the Pan-American Highway.
  • Petro called for maximum global pursuit of the involved narco-terrorist group, identifying their leader as "Marlon" and linking them to Ivรกn Mordisco's dissident FARC faction.

President Gustavo Petro has unequivocally condemned the brutal car bomb attack that shattered the peace in Cajibรญo, Cauca, on April 25th, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven civilians and injuring seventeen more. In a strong denunciation, Petro branded the perpetrators as "terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers," emphasizing the deliberate use of violence to instill mass fear. He asserted that such acts are instruments of fascism and drug trafficking used to seize power and control populations.

What is terrorism? It is producing mass fear in the population through violence. Fear is the instrument of fascism to gain power and control the population. Those who attacked and killed seven civilians and injured 17 more civilians in Cajibรญo, many indigenous among them, are terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers.

โ€” Gustavo PetroPresident Petro's condemnation of the attack and identification of the perpetrators.

Petro specifically identified the group's leader as "Marlon," who he stated is fully identified by intelligence services. He further characterized the armed groups operating in Cauca as criminals against humanity, directly linking them to Ivรกn Mordisco, the elusive leader of the central staff (EMC) โ€“ the largest dissident faction of the former FARC. The President argued that these groups seek to install a far-right, fascist government in Colombia, as they benefit from illicit businesses involving cocaine and gold under such regimes.

Their boss is called Marlon, fully identified by police and military intelligence. The fronts in Cauca are criminals against humanity and must be treated as such. They want the extreme right, fascism, to govern Colombia because they know that with them they do their business of cocaine and illicit gold.

โ€” Gustavo PetroFurther details provided by the President regarding the group's leadership and motives.

"I want the maximum world persecution against this narco-terrorist group," Petro declared, demanding intensified efforts against their finances and the deployment of elite soldiers to confront them. He expressed a desire to expedite the formal accusation process to name their leaders before the International Criminal Court. This strong stance comes amidst a surge of violence in southwestern Colombia, including recent explosive attacks on military units and a civil aviation radar, all attributed to the Jaime Martรญnez column, a faction that did not adhere to the 2016 peace agreement.

I want maximum world persecution against this narco-terrorist group. I want them on top of their finances, I want the best soldiers to face them, I want the people to be freed from this mafia. I want to sign the delayed accusation without reason to denounce their leaders by name before the International Criminal Court.

โ€” Gustavo PetroPresident Petro's call for international action and legal proceedings against the group.
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Originally published by Prensa Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.