Car bomb hits Colombia's southwest as new President Abelardo de la Espriella takes charge

A car bomb exploded Saturday at a toll plaza in southwestern Colombia, the army said, a day after conservative political newcomer Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as the country's new president.

The army blamed the attack on two dissident groups of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which rejected the peace agreement the guerrilla group signed with the Colombian government a decade ago.

The blast took place at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway, a key road linking Colombia's southwestern regions. Two security guards suffered minor injuries, according to the army. One of the guards told authorities that the explosion was caused by a vehicle abandoned at the site by a person who fled on a motorcycle.

The affected stretch of highway connects the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, whose capital, Cali, hosted de la Espriella's inauguration on Friday. In his inaugural address, the new president laid out his security policy and warned armed groups that “they have two paths: submit to the rule of law or confront the security forces.”

On Saturday, the army said soldiers had secured the area and deployed trained dogs to search for any additional explosives. Parts of the vehicle, including its charred chassis, were scattered around the toll plaza. The blast woke families living just metres from the scene. Elizabeth Zapata, 57, said the force of the explosion “lift them out of bed” and shattered the windows of nearby homes. Her family, which includes several children, “arrived with shards of glass embedded in their backs.”

Cauca Governor Jorge Octavio Guzmán said he believed the attacks were aimed at isolating the department and allowing armed groups to maintain control over thousands of hectares. “This is not an isolated incident; it is systematic,” he said.

Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera condemned the attack and said efforts were underway to restore traffic along the affected route. “Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions,” she wrote on social media.

Dozens of prisoners transferred to maximum-security prisons

Also on Saturday, de la Espriella announced the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to peace talks under the previous administration to eight maximum-security prisons. According to the country's corrections agency, the move is intended to “regain permanent control of the prisons” and “contain any capacity of criminal organizations” to coordinate illicit activities from inside prisons.

De la Espriella has rejected the dialogue with armed groups pursued by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro. The 48-year-old lawyer and businessman, who had no prior political experience, narrowly defeated progressive senator and Petro ally Iván Cepeda in a June runoff election held against the backdrop of a deeply polarised political climate. His presidency begins with a strong opposition led by Petro, who refused to recognise de la Espriella's victory and alleged electoral fraud despite the official declaration by Colombia's electoral authority and favourable assessments from international observers.