Colombia truck bomb near police station wounds 14 ahead of presidential inauguration

On Saturday, a truck bomb detonated near a Colombian police station close to the Venezuelan border, injuring 14 people just prior to the inauguration of president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. The Colombian government attributed the early-morning attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's largest active guerrilla group.

Eleven police officers and three civilians were hurt, with two officers in critical condition. The governor of Norte de Santander department, William Villamizar, expressed concerns over the severity of the injuries. De la Espriella, the right-wing businessman who will assume office on August 7, condemned the bombing, stating, "Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia."

Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez offered a reward of over $64,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects and labelled the perpetrators as "narcoterrorists." The United Nations also condemned the attack, warning that it was causing fear among the local population. The ELN has previously warned de la Espriella, who had plans to end the peace negotiations ongoing with the guerrilla group.

Petro's peace talks with the ELN ended in January 2025 after the group attacked rival guerrillas in the northeast, resulting in over 100 deaths. Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine, and the ELN finances its activities through drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises. De la Espriella, backed by the US government under President Donald Trump, promised to strengthen the fight against guerrillas and drug trafficking organizations to combat a decade-long surge in violence.

To ensure his safety, he requested the presidential inauguration be held in Cali, a region plagued by gang and guerrilla clashes, instead of the traditional Congress building in Bogota. The ceremony will be protected by a large security presence, with approximately 11,000 military and police personnel involved in operations on land, sea, and air.

De la Espriella has frequently claimed he is a target of assassination, following a campaign marred by political violence and an escalation of armed conflict involving bombs, drone attacks, and assaults on security forces. In 2025, right-wing presidential candidate and senator Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot at a Bogota event and died. Petro, spending his final days in office in Cuba, has not commented on the latest attack.