A Car Bomb Attack Targets Southwest Colombia A Day After President Takes Office

CALI, Colombia — A car explosive exploded Saturday successful southwestern Colombia, nan service said, a time aft blimpish governmental neophyte Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn successful arsenic nan country’s caller president pledging to fortify security.

The service alleged nan onslaught was carried retired by 2 dissident groups of nan now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, aliases FARC. The groups did not judge nan bid statement that FARC signed a decade agone pinch nan Colombian government.

The detonation took spot astatine a toll plaza connected nan Pan-American Highway, nan main roadworthy successful nan country’s southwest. The service said 2 information guards suffered insignificant injuries successful nan attack. One of nan guards told authorities that nan detonation was caused by a conveyance that had been abandoned by an individual who fled connected a motorcycle.

The onslaught took spot connected nan roadworthy connecting nan regions of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, whose capital, Cali, hosted Friday’s swearing-in ceremonial for De la Espriella. During his inaugural speech, he outlined his information argumentation and warned forbidden groups that “they person 2 paths: taxable to nan norm of rule aliases face nan information forces.”

The service connected Saturday said connected societal media that soldiers were securing nan area and utilizing trained dogs to hunt for different explosive devices.

Minister of Transportation Elsa Noguera condemned nan onslaught and said activity was underway to reconstruct postulation successful nan area.

“Colombia will not kneel earlier violence, nor will it let nan demolition of nan infrastructure that connects our regions,” she wrote connected societal media.

Also connected Saturday, De la Espriella announced nan transportation of 117 prisoners linked to nan erstwhile administration’s bid talks to 8 maximum-security prisons. The measure, according to nan nationalist corrections agency, intends to “regain imperishable power of nan prisons” and “contain immoderate capacity of criminal organizations” to coordinate illicit activities from wrong prisons. De la Espriella has rejected nan speech pinch equipped groups promoted by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro.

With nary anterior governmental experience, nan 48-year-old De la Espriella, a lawyer and businessperson, narrowly defeated Iván Cepeda, a progressive legislator and Petro ally, successful a June runoff predetermination successful a polarized governmental climate.

His word originates pinch a robust guidance led by Petro, who refused to admit his triumph and alleged fraud contempt nan charismatic declaration from nan electoral authority and nan affirmative appraisal of nan ballot by world observers.

Suárez and Molina constitute for nan Associated Press. Molina reported from Quito, Ecuador.