Car Bomb Blast Hits Colombia Day After Hardline President Takes Office

A car bomb explosion has rocked southwestern Colombia, just a day after newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella assumed office with a pledge to take tougher action against armed and criminal groups.

The explosion occurred on Saturday at a toll plaza along the Pan-American Highway in Cauca Department, according to Colombian authorities. The military blamed the attack on two armed groups that split from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which disarmed following a 2016 peace agreement with the government.

Two security guards sustained minor injuries in the blast. A witness said the suspected attacker abandoned the vehicle before fleeing the area on a motorcycle.

The new administration condemned the attack and vowed to respond firmly.

“Colombia will not kneel before violence,” Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera said, promising to protect the infrastructure connecting communities across the country.

The bombing comes as President de la Espriella begins his four-year term after narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Senator Ivan Cepeda in June's presidential runoff.

During his inauguration speech, the new president pledged to defeat what he described as “narco-terrorism” and restore security across Colombia. He has also rejected his predecessor Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy, which focused heavily on negotiations with armed groups.

Instead, de la Espriella has promised a more militarised approach, arguing that dialogue with armed groups has been exhausted.

Colombia has endured more than six decades of armed conflict involving rebel groups, paramilitaries, government forces and criminal organisations. The country also remains the world's largest producer of coca, the main raw material used to manufacture cocaine.

The new president has received backing from US President Donald Trump, whose administration has pledged $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia.

However, human rights organisations have expressed concerns that tougher military operations and attacks on suspected drug-trafficking networks could lead to abuses and violations of civilians' rights.

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