A lorry laden with explosives detonated in Tolima province, western Colombia, on Sunday, killing four people, including a two-month-old baby girl, according to local reports. The explosion occurred near a military base in the town of Planadas, also damaging a nearby hospital and other structures.
The bombing's perpetrators are not yet identified, but authorities suggest it may be linked to increased attacks by armed criminal groups against security forces. This surge in violence appears to be in retaliation for a crackdown ordered by the new right-wing President, Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August with a tough-on-crime platform. De la Espriella has ended peace talks initiated by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, and expanded operations against illegal armed groups.
President de la Espriella has stated, "In my government, criminal will have no political status, no leniency, and no impunity." This stance contrasts with Petro's "total peace strategy," which aimed to end violence through negotiations. However, Petro had previously paused some talks due to repeated breaches of agreement.
These stepped-up military actions by the government have been met with retaliatory attacks. On Saturday, a police officer was killed and six others injured by a motorcycle bomb in southern Huila province. President de la Espriella condemned this incident as "a cowardly terrorist attack." The use of drones to transport explosives has also been noted in recent attacks, including one on October 23rd that killed a marine infantryman and injured four others aboard a Navy boat in Cauca province.