Terror in Colombia: bomb injures 11 before El Espriella’s inauguration.

Violence has once again gripped Colombia in the wake of the collapse of public security left by the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro. On Saturday morning (1st), a truck bomb was detonated in the city of Cúcuta, on the border with Venezuela, injuring 11 people and causing destruction around a police station.

The attack comes just six days before the inauguration of the right-wing president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, in what appears to be an attack by organized crime against the change in political leadership in the country.

The explosions and smoke filled the streets of the region early in the day, spreading panic among residents. According to information published by the AFP news agency, the initial assessment by local authorities confirms that eight police officers and three civilians were injured within the blast radius.

Security forces immediately surrounded the area to prevent further incursions and attempt to rescue victims from the rubble.

Crackdown on Drug Trafficking

Abelardo de la Espriella won the Colombian presidential elections in June after consolidating a strong discourse of combating crime and restoring law and order. He defeated the leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, who had the direct support and machinery of the current president, Gustavo Petro.

Immediately after the confirmation of the explosion, the president-elect used his social media to firmly condemn the criminals’ actions and send a direct message to the armed groups that are trying to destabilize the country.

In a post on the social network X, he condemned the attack: “Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia nor will it break the will of Colombians to live in peace and security.”

Zero Tolerance

In the same post, “El Tigre,” as the conservative leader is popularly known, demanded a rigorous investigation of the attack and guaranteed full support to the victims of the cowardly act.

Espriella promised a relentless fight against the perpetrators of the attack: “Those responsible must be identified, captured, and brought to justice with the full weight of the law. To our heroes of the public force: you are not alone.”

De la Espriella’s inauguration ceremony will be held in Cali, in southwestern Colombia, marking a historic break in the country’s protocol. Traditionally, the transfer of power to new heads of state has always taken place at the National Congress headquarters in the capital, Bogotá.

According to information published on the G1 portal, the announcement of the change of location is symbolic and signals the future government’s immediate declaration of war against the drug cartels and guerrilla groups that dominate that region.