Car bomb attack rattles Colombia after inauguration of hardline president
A car bomb exploded on a highway in southwestern Colombia, marking a violent challenge to the newly inaugurated hardline president, Abelardo de la Espriella. The government has attributed the attack to FARC dissident groups and vowed a stern security response.
Why it matters
The attack signals immediate security challenges for the new administration, which campaigned on a platform of cracking down on armed groups and restoring order.
Colombia’s new government promises a harsh response following an explosion on the Pan-American Highway in the country’s southwest.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info A soldiers on August 8 walks through a toll plaza along the Pan-American Highway damaged in a explosion attributed to FARC dissident groups [Santiago Saldarriaga/AP Photo] By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press Published On 8 Aug 2026 8 Aug 2026 Authorities have reported a car bomb attack in southwestern Colombia, one day after far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president.
The country’s military alleged that the Saturday attack was carried out by two armed groups that splintered from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a former rebel group that disarmed after a peace deal with the government in 2016.
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