Colombian rebels express frustration with new president by detonating car bomb

Colombian authorities have vowed a strong response after a car bomb attack allegedly carried out by armed groups, just one day after the inauguration of the country’s new president, whose election has sharply divided public opinion.

The country’s military suspects that two armed groups that split from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are behind the August 8 attack on a highway toll center in Cauca, as reported by CNN.

The FARC disarmed following a 2016 peace agreement with the government, but several dissident factions have continued operating.

Two security guards reportedly suffered minor injuries in the blast. According to a witness, the attack was carried out by a person who abandoned the vehicle before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.

The attack came a day after the inauguration of hardline President Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on a pledge to launch a crackdown on Colombia’s armed groups.

His administration quickly promised a forceful response to the bombing.

“Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions,” Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera said in a social media post following the attack.

She also referred to de la Espriella’s inaugural address, in which he pledged to “defeat narco-terrorism” and curb criminal activity.

“As President Abelardo de la Espriella said yesterday, the time for restoring order has begun,” Noguera added. “We will recover security, control of our territories, and the peace of mind of Colombians.”

Colombia has endured more than six decades of internal armed conflict involving right-wing paramilitaries, left-wing rebel groups, government forces and criminal networks. The country is also the world’s largest producer of coca, the raw material used to make cocaine as well as in traditional Andean medicine.

De la Espriella, a political newcomer and former lawyer whose views have been described as far-right, joins a growing group of right-wing leaders across Latin America who have successfully capitalized on public concerns over crime and insecurity to win office.

By Nazrin Sadigova