On the Radar: ELN Bombing in Colombia Days Before New President Takes Office

As a new, hard-line president prepares to take office in Colombia, the country's armed groups are positioning themselves in anticipation. A bombing attributed to the National Liberation Army (ELN) wounded 14 people in Cúcuta, a city on the Venezuelan border, just days before the inauguration of President Abelardo de la Espriella.

The ELN's attack coincided with simultaneous assaults on a police commander's convoy and a congressman's home in the region. Authorities have also thwarted another attack in Cali, allegedly orchestrated by the Central General Staff (EMC).

Ecuador has deployed 4,000 security forces to its capital, Quito, following the discovery of a decapitated body hanging from a bridge. This heightened presence of police and military personnel may indicate that gang violence, which has long been concentrated on the country's coast, is spilling into the capital. Daniel Noboa, Ecuador's president, has adopted a hardline stance against criminal groups, though with limited success.

In an effort to combat environmental crimes across the Amazon basin, authorities from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru concluded Operation Green Shield 2026. The multi-country crackdown, conducted between July 15 and 31, resulted in 839 arrests and the seizure of substantial amounts of illegal timber, minerals, mining equipment, and trafficked animals.

While the operation demonstrates the potential impact of coordinated enforcement, the criminal networks responsible for environmental destruction remain resilient.