A car-bomb attack targets southwest Colombia a day after conservative president takes office

A car bomb detonated in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, just a day after conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella took office. The explosion occurred at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway, which is the primary route in the southwest part of the country. According to the army, two dissident factions from the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were responsible for the attack.

These factions had refused to accept the peace agreement FARC signed with the Colombian government a decade ago. The attack left two security guards with minor injuries; one of them reported that the bomb was set off by an abandoned vehicle that had been driven away on a motorcycle.

The road where the explosion took place connects the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, with Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, hosting de la Espriella's swearing-in ceremony on Friday. In his inaugural address, de la Espriella discussed his security policy and warned illegal groups that they have two options: either comply with the rule of law or face the security forces.

Following the incident, the army announced on social media that its soldiers were securing the area and employing trained dogs to search for additional explosive devices. Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera condemned the attack, stating that Colombia will not succumb to violence nor permit the destruction of infrastructure connecting regions.

On the same day, de la Espriella announced the relocation of 117 prisoners associated with the previous administration's peace talks to eight maximum-security prisons. This decision aimed to reestablish control over prisons and prevent criminal organizations from coordinating illicit activities from within. De la Espriella had previously opposed dialogue with armed groups, unlike his predecessor, Gustavo Petro.