A car bomb exploded Saturday in southwestern Colombia, the Army said, a day after conservative political neophyte Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s new President.

The Army alleged the attack was carried out by two dissident groups of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The groups did not accept the peace agreement that FARC signed a decade ago with the Colombian government.

The explosion took place at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway, the main road in the country’s southwest. The army said two security guards suffered minor injuries in the attack. One of the guards told authorities that the explosion was caused by a vehicle that had been abandoned by an individual who fled on a motorcycle.

The affected road connects the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, whose capital, Cali, hosted Friday’s (August 7, 2026) swearing-in ceremony for Mr. de la Espriella. During his inaugural speech, he outlined his security policy and warned illegal groups that “they have two paths: submit to the rule of law or confront the security forces.” The Army on Saturday (August 8, 2026) said on social media that soldiers were securing the area and using trained dogs to search for other explosive devices. Scattered around the toll plaza were parts of the vehicle, including the charred chassis.

The explosion woke up families who live in houses located a few yards (meters) from the crime scene. Elizabeth Zapata, 57, said she felt the blast wave “lift them out of bed” and the windows shattered. Her family members, who live with several children, “arrived with shards of glass embedded in their backs.” Cauca Gov. Jorge Octavio Guzmán told reporters he believes the attacks are intended to isolate the department in order to maintain control over thousands of hectares.

“This is not an isolated incident; it is systematic,” he said.

Minister of Transportation Elsa Noguera condemned the attack and said work was underway to restore traffic in the area.

“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 sent to maximum security prisons

Also on Saturday (August 8, 2026), Mr. de la Espriella announced the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to the previous administration’s peace talks to eight maximum-security prisons. The measure, according to the country’s corrections agency, aims to “regain permanent control of the prisons” and “contain any capacity of criminal organizations” to coordinate illicit activities from within prisons. Mr. De la Espriella has rejected the dialogue with armed groups promoted by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro.

With no prior political experience, the 48-year-old Mr. de la Espriella, a lawyer and businessperson, narrowly defeated Iván Cepeda, a progressive senator and Mr. Petro ally, in a June runoff election in a polarized political climate.

His term begins with a robust opposition led by Mr. Petro, who refused to acknowledge his victory and insisted on alleged fraud despite the official declaration from the electoral authority and the positive assessment from international observers.

A truck bomb exploded on Saturday (August 1, 2026) near a Colombian police station not far from the Venezuelan border, wounding 14 people just days before President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella takes office.

The government in Bogota blamed rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN), the country’s largest active guerrilla group, for the early-morning blast in the northern city of Cucuta.

Eleven police officers and three civilians were hurt in the incident, according to the latest official toll.

AFP reporters saw the vehicle in flames and damaged building facades.

Two of the wounded officers were “fighting for their lives,” said William Villamizar, the governor of Norte de Santander department.

De la Espriella -the right-wing millionaire lawyer who will take the oath of office on August 7, succeeding Gustavo Petro, the first leftist president in Colombia’s history -condemned the attack, calling it “an atrocious, violent act.”

“Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia,” he said in a post on X.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said ELN “narcoterrorists” were to blame, and offered a reward of more than $64,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.

The United Nations also condemned the attack, saying it was sparking fear among residents.

Guerrilla groups have issued warnings to De la Espriella, who plans to end the peace negotiations Mr. Petro had been conducting with various armed organizations.

Mr. Petro’s talks with the ELN came to a halt in January 2025 after the group launched an offensive against rival guerrillas in the northeast, killing more than 100 people.

Colombia’s hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella vowed on Sunday (July 26, 2026) to break off diplomatic relations with Cuba and Nicaragua when he takes office on August 7.

Mr. De la Espriella said he will also close 15 consulates and 14 embassies in countries including Algeria, Barbados, Ethiopia, Haiti, Hungary, Senegal and South Africa.

“In my government, there will be no ties with tyrannies,” Mr. De la Espriella said in a social media post, referring to the leftist governments of Cuba and Nicaragua.

However, he said the decisions “do not mean breaking off diplomatic relations” with the other countries.

“With the rest of the countries and organisations, Colombia will maintain its international relations and will guarantee attention for its nationals through other embassies,” he said.

The President-elect, whose election campaign centred on “iron fist” security policies, said closing embassies would allow the government to redirect money to security.

Mr. De la Espriella announced plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem in July as he seeks to restore ties with Israel.

Outgoing President Gustavo Petro severed ties with Israel in 2024 over its Gaza offensive.

Mr. De la Espriella said he also plans to open an embassy in Nigeria, which “will make it possible to reorganise and make more efficient” Colombia’s presence in Africa.

Rightist leaders from across the Americas congratulated Colombia’s hard-right President-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, on Sunday (June 22, 2026) after he defeated his leftist rival in a razor-tight vote.

With almost all the votes counted, De la Espriella held 49.66% of the ballots versus Senator Ivan Cepeda’s 48.70%. The 47-year-old’s victory is set to improve strained relations with Washington and extend a wave of rightist candidates who have swept to power across Latin America promising “iron fist” security policies.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed “his support” for De la Espriella after celebrating his victory in a phone call, the President-elect said.

Mr. Trump later said in a post on Truth Social that “He Won, BIG!” Argentine President Javier Milei was one of the first to congratulate De la Espriella, who calls himself “The Tiger.”

“The majority of Colombians have chosen the path of economic freedom, prosperity, and relentless security,” said Mr. Milei, who is nicknamed “The Lion.”

“Freedom is advancing throughout Latin America and there is no turning back. LONG LIVE FREEDOM… THE LION AND THE TIGER ROAR IN LATIN AMERICA,” he said on X.

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa said, “Colombia chose order over impunity.” “We share the conviction that our region deserves security, progress, and governments that confront crime without excuses,” he said on X.

Mr. Noboa has criticised outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s stance on crime, accusing him of failing to crack down on drug trafficking and illegal mining along their shared border.

Chile’s President Jose Antonio Kast also congratulated De la Espriella “for his great electoral victory,” while Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino wished him “the greatest success.”

Venezuelan Opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado said she expected good relations with Colombia.

“We know we will have a great ally in Venezuela’s democratic transition and that together, we will achieve prosperity and security for our people,” she said.

Peru’s leader, Keiko Fujimori, said: “New winds are blowing for Latin America.” Ms. Fujimori was ahead of leftist Roberto Sanchez in Peru’s presidential leadership contest with almost all the votes counted.

Colombia elected nationalist lawyer Abelardo ‌De La Espriella as its new President on Sunday (June 21, 2026), according to an initial ​vote count, marking a sharp political turn and bringing a hardline security agenda ⁠and market-friendly policies to the fore.

Nicknamed “The Tiger” by his followers, Mr. De La Espriella portrayed himself as an anti-establishment savior capable of reviving Colombia’s ailing economy and restoring order in a country rattled by illegal armed groups and drug trafficking.

Mr. De ‌La Espriella began gaining popularity early in the year with his tough-on-crime discourse. He pulled off a victory in the first round in late May with 43.7% ‌of the vote and then beat leftist senator Ivan Cepeda in the runoff with 49.66% ‌to Cepeda’s ⁠48.7%, according to the national registrar’s tally. De La Espriella, who blames outgoing President ⁠Gustavo for Colombia’s economic and security woes, won over a plurality ofvoters with pledges to reduce the size of the state by 40%, broaden the tax base and end peace efforts with armed groups in favor of a hardened military response.

He ​plans to restart oil exploration and allow ‌fracking to nearly double production to 1.3 million barrels per day.

Mr. De La Espriella claims to have self-financed his campaign and says his “Defenders of the Homeland” movement grew without support from outside political parties or business groups. Reuters could not independently verify this claim. Aside from being an attorney, ‌De La Espriella has a sprawling business empire that includes wine, rum, clothing and ​real estate.

An investigative journalism outlet, La Silla Vacia, found that many of his businesses have been dissolved, are in debt and lost money overall in 2024, with ⁠his law firm being his most profitable endeavor. De La Espriella’s campaign declined to answer La Silla Vacia’s questions about the candidate’s businesses, the outlet said, but later questioned its funding in a public letter. ‌La Silla Vacia rejected allegations of bias.

Luxury watches on an iron fist

Mr. De La Espriella, 47, used a military salute throughout his campaign despite never having served in the military.

Often seen wearing luxury watches, designer sunglasses and with a well-groomed beard, Mr. De La Espriella has drawn comparisons to El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, who calls himself the “world’s coolest dictator.”

Bukele has implemented heavy-handed security policies and mega-prisons that pushed crime rates in El Salvador to among the lowest in Central America and prompted calls for other ‌countries to adopt similar policies. He has detained more than 90,000 people in the process, drawing criticism from human ​rights groups.

De La Espriella denies he is imitating Bukele but has proposed 10 mega-prisons in Colombia.

Mr. De La Espriella has also faced criticism for legally representing Alex Saab, who faces ⁠charges in the U.S. of laundering money for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He has also represented people ⁠linked to corruption scandals, financial embezzlement and right-wing paramilitaries and says his professional relationships as an attorney do not involve any complicity or crime.

Mr. De La Espriella, a married father of ‌four, grew up in the Caribbean city of Monteria and is a known singer of the region’s traditional vallenato folk music. A citizen of the United States, Italy and Colombia, De ​La Espriella is set to assume the presidency on August 7. 

 Colombian right wing candidate Abelardo ‌De La Espriella looked poised to ​win the country’s Sunday (June 21, 2026) presidential race, ⁠notching just under 50% of the vote, with nearly 95% of ballot boxes counted, data from ‌the country’s national registry office showed.

His rival, the leftist Ivan Cepeda, ‌was some 368,000 votes behind with 48.4%. De ‌La ⁠Espriella, 47, has proposed a ⁠tough crackdown on crime, as well as the end to peace talks with armed groups and a ​boost to Colombia’s oil ‌and gas sector.

Mr. Cepeda, 63, has vowed to continue the policies of President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel and the country’s ‌first leftist president, which include state pension ​payments for the poor, union-backed labor reforms, peace talks with armed ⁠groups that have fought the state for decades and a moratorium on new oil projects.

Mr. De ‌La Espriella blames Mr. Petro for the country’s economic and security woes and has vowed to lower taxes and reduce the size of the state by up to 40%, but has said he will ‌preserve Mr. Petro’s 23% increase in the minimum wage, along ​with other popular social measures.

Whoever wins will grapple with high public debt ⁠and a divided Congress, which could stymie reform ⁠proposals.

Some 4,00,000 voters turned in blank ballots, usually seen as a protest ‌vote.

Colombia’s Senate approved a law on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) to ban female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that persists in some of the country’s Indigenous communities, after two years of debate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the full or partial removal of the clitoris causes serious health damage, poses a risk of death and violates the fundamental rights of girls.

If approved by leftist President Gustavo Petro, Colombia will become the first country in Latin America to pass such legislation.

The origins of the practice in Colombia are unknown, and NGO Equality Now believes it is the only country in Latin America where the practice continues. Between 2020 and 2025, 204 FGMs were reported, but the number is believed to be vastly underreported.

In April, AFP travelled through the western mountainous coffee-growing regions, the ancestral territories of Embera Chami and Katio peoples, where FGM affects hundreds of girls.

Alejandrina Guasorna, a 74-year-old farmer, found out as an adult that her clitoris had been removed shortly after birth.

But she grew up surrounded by the practice, and its deadly consequences.

“They were bringing in dead girls all the time,” she told AFP. “We thought it was normal.”

Embera Indigenous leader Juliana Domico spoke out against the practice on the Senate floor.

“This is not a cultural practice, absolutely not. It is a harmful practice that was imposed,” she said.

An explosive device killed 13 people travelling on a bus in southwestern Colombia on Saturday (April 25, 2026), an attack the country’s army chief described as a “terrorist act” that also left at least 38 injured as violence linked to drug trafficking in the region escalates.

Octavio Guzman, the Governor of the region of Cauca, said on X that the device was set off while the bus was travelling along the Panamerican Highway in the municipality of Cajibio.