At least 11 wounded by Colombia car bomb days before presidential election

At slightest 11 radical person been wounded successful a Colombian car bombing, days earlier right-wing President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is acceptable to instrumentality office.

The detonation occurred successful the metropolis of Cucuta, which borders Venezuela, connected Saturday, six days earlier de la Espriella is acceptable to regenerate outgoing President Gustavo Petro, the country’s archetypal left-wing leader.

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“At this time, we person 8 constabulary officers and 3 civilians who person been injured,” George Quintero, the information caput for the section of Norte de Santander, told reporters.

No groups instantly claimed work for the attack. Several rebel groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), stay progressive successful the area, arsenic is the transgression radical Clan del Golfo.

In a station connected the societal media level X, de la Espriella said helium condemned “in the strongest presumption the cowardly violent onslaught carried retired successful Cucuta against our National Police”.

“Terrorism volition not intimidate Colombia oregon interruption Colombians’ determination to unrecorded successful bid and security,” helium said.

For much than six decades, Colombia has grappled with an interior equipped conflict, which has seen left-wing rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries, authorities forces and transgression groups clash for power.

The struggle — and Colombia’s presumption arsenic the apical cocaine shaper successful the satellite — took centre signifier successful de la Espriella’s contention to beryllium president.

The predetermination play was marred by governmental violence, arsenic rebel groups were accused of staging dozens of attacks with bombs and explosive-laden drones.

In 2025, right-wing statesmanlike hopeful and legislator Miguel Uribe Turbay was changeable successful the caput astatine an lawsuit successful Bogota. He died a period aboriginal from his injuries.

His mother, writer Diana Turbay, was famously killed arsenic portion of Colombia’s interior struggle successful 1991, aft she was kidnapped by transgression forces.

De la Espriella, who was acceptable to instrumentality bureau connected August 7, has promised to ace down connected rebel groups and transgression organisations, some of which trust connected the country’s cocaine trade.

The millionaire lawyer and businessman has ne'er earlier held nationalist bureau successful Colombia.

But his right-wing run was backed by the medication of US President Donald Trump, who has clashed with the outgoing president, Petro, implicit matters of determination security.

Trump has advocated for a militaristic attack to transgression enactment successful the Americas, portion framing cause traffickers arsenic “narcoterrorists” who endanger US nationalist security.

The predetermination of de la Espriella represents a large ideological pivot from Petro, who has sought a peace-through-dialogue attack to resoluteness the equipped conflict.

Petro besides attempted to pivot distant from the US-led “war connected drugs” approach, focusing his government’s enforcement efforts connected intercepting large cause routes.

He and Trump clashed implicit his determination to displacement distant from targeting impoverished, small-scale farmers who turn coca, the earthy worldly for cocaine, arsenic good arsenic accepted Andean teas and medication.

By contrast, de la Espriella has pledged to further turn Colombia’s subject confederation with the US.

He has besides echoed hardline strategies championed by Trump and different right-wing figures similar Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, pledging to physique megaprisons and weaponry suspected cause traffickers.

“Any level that takes disconnected loaded with drugs — arsenic commander-in-chief, I volition bid the Air Force to sprout it down,” de la Espriella told The Associated Press during his campaign.

“Any vessel that sets retired loaded with drugs, I volition bid it sunk with the radical connected board.”

The president-elect has agelong warned of an progressive assassination crippled against him. He had initially sought to beryllium sworn successful astatine a subject garrison successful the conflict-hit section of Cauca. Petro did not authorise the plan.

He volition alternatively beryllium sworn successful astatine the City Hall successful Bogota, successful a ceremonial acceptable to see 11,000 soldiers and constabulary officers.