Car Bomb Hits Colombia Highway a Day After New President Takes Office

A car bomb exploded at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, just one day after President Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated. The army reported that two security guards sustained minor injuries in the blast, which occurred on the road connecting the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca.

The military attributed the attack to two dissident groups that broke away from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and rejected the peace agreement signed a decade ago. According to authorities, one of the injured guards said the explosion came from a vehicle abandoned by a person who fled the scene on a motorcycle.

The attack took place near Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, which hosted the swearing-in ceremony for de la Espriella on Friday. In his inaugural address, the new president outlined a hardline security policy, warning illegal armed groups they must either submit to the rule of law or face the security forces.

Army personnel secured the area on Saturday and deployed trained dogs to search for additional explosives. Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera condemned the attack and said efforts were underway to restore traffic along the highway. She stated that Colombia would not bow to violence or allow the destruction of infrastructure that connects the country's regions.

In a separate move on Saturday, de la Espriella ordered the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to peace talks held under the previous administration to eight maximum-security prisons. The corrections agency said the measure aims to regain control of the prison system and prevent criminal organizations from coordinating illicit activities from inside.

The new president, a 48-year-old lawyer and businessperson with no prior political experience, narrowly won a June runoff against progressive senator Iván Cepeda. His predecessor, Gustavo Petro, has refused to concede, alleging electoral fraud despite official certification and positive assessments from international observers.