Car bomb explodes in Colombia shortly after president takes office

Cali – 09.08.2026: One day after the inauguration of Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella, a car bomb exploded in the southwest of the country. According to the army, the vehicle loaded with explosives detonated at a toll station on the Pan-American Highway on Saturday. Two security personnel deployed there were slightly injured. Investigations into the perpetrators and those who ordered the attack are ongoing.

The scene of the attack is located on an important transport route between the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. The Pan-American Highway connects the Cauca region, long shaped by armed conflict, with Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca. According to the investigation findings known so far, a man parked the vehicle at the toll station and then fled on a motorcycle. Buildings in the immediate vicinity were also damaged by the blast. No information was initially available on the type or quantity of explosives used.

The army blamed two splinter groups from the former FARC guerrilla movement for the attack. These groups had not recognized the peace agreement concluded in 2016 between the Colombian state and the then rebel organization. The attribution had not initially been independently confirmed as of Sunday. The accused groups did not comment, and no possible arrests were reported.

The attack followed a politically charged transfer of power. De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and political newcomer, was sworn in in Cali on August 7. He s쳮ded left-wing President Gustavo Petro. In his first address, the new head of state announced that he would place greater emphasis on security, state authority and better conditions for investment. The explosion confronts his government, at the very start of its term, with the continuing violence in parts of the country.

Cauca and neighboring Valle del Cauca have been among Colombia’s most insecure regions for years. FARC dissidents, other armed organizations and criminal networks compete there for territorial control, transport routes and revenue from illegal activities. Remote rural areas, where state institutions have only a weak presence, are particularly affected. The UN Verification Mission has repeatedly reported armed clashes and particular risks to Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The 2016 peace agreement ended the conflict with the then main FARC organization, but did not lead to the complete disarmament of all fighters. Dissident groups and other armed actors were able to maintain or expand their influence in several regions. According to the United Nations, security gaps, illegal economic structures and the limited presence of the state have facilitated this development. Two slightly injured security personnel have so far been officially confirmed following the attack at the toll station.