Car Bomb Injures Civilians as Colombia Battles Resurgent Rebel Violence
An explosion near a toll booth in southwestern Colombia marks an escalation of conflict as the government intensifies operations against armed groups.
A car bomb detonated at a toll booth in southwestern Colombia on Monday, injuring at least three civilians, as fighting between the military and rebel groups intensifies in the Cauca region. The army attributed the attack, which occurred near the town of El Bordo, to the Carlos Patiño front, a faction composed of former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who did not participate in the 2016 peace accord.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the bombing, calling it a "terrorist attack" that harms civilians and infrastructure along the Panamerican highway. "Attacking infrastructure harms people, truck drivers and all of those who need to travel," he stated on X.
The Carlos Patiño front was also implicated in a clash with soldiers on Friday in the Timbio municipality, which resulted in the death of a sergeant, according to the army. Separately, a drone attack on a military patrol in La Vega, also in Cauca, killed a soldier on Saturday. The army blamed this incident on the National Liberation Army (ELN), another rebel group.
These developments come as the Colombian government has canceled peace talks with remaining rebel factions, with de la Espriella adopting a firm stance against crime and rebel activity. In response, some groups have increased attacks on the military and engaged in actions to assert territorial control.
This escalation follows a similar incident in September, when a drug gang retaliated against a military operation by setting vehicles ablaze and enforcing a three-day shutdown of businesses in the tourist city of Santa Marta. The military subsequently deployed troops to the area.
President de la Espriella, who assumed office in August, has pledged to intensify operations against rebel groups, whom he has characterized as terrorists. His administration recently launched a joint task force aimed at disrupting a group's alleged theft of fuel from a key pipeline.
De la Espriella's policies represent a notable departure from the previous administration of President Gustavo Petro, which had pursued multiple negotiation efforts with rebel groups over the past four years. The 2016 peace deal with the FARC led to an estimated 14,000 fighters laying down their arms. However, the accord left a vacuum in some rural areas, which the government has been slow to fill. Smaller armed groups are now vying for control of these territories, engaging in attacks against civilians and the military to impose taxes and dominate resources such as gold mines and drug trafficking routes.