Colombia neutralizes Bus Bomb!
Bus bomb
Bogotá, Aug 5 (EFE).-
Authorities successfully neutralized a bomb on a highway in the southwestern department of Cauca on Wednesday, near the city of Cali, where President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is set to be inaugurated in two days.
In a statement, the Colombian Police reported the successful execution of “Operation Prometheus” on the Pan-American Highway, the primary artery in southwestern Colombia.
Authorities intercepted and carried out a controlled detonation of a bus rigged with 420 kg of ammonium nitrate, equipped with seven improvised launch cylinders.
The vehicle, allegedly prepared by the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest FARC dissident group, “was intended to strike military and police installations in Cali.”
“This terrorist act was ordered by the alias ‘Iván Mordisco,’ Colombia’s most wanted criminal and head of the EMC, from the Jacobo Arenas Western Bloc, with the intent to sabotage and display ‘military presence’ during the president-elect’s inauguration,” the report added.
During the operation, authorities seized the bus, the seven cylinders, and the launch platforms.
Inauguration in Cali
According to De la Espriella, holding his inauguration in Cali, the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, marks his commitment to “reclaiming sovereignty” regarding citizen security, which he argues was “surrendered to narcoterrorists in vast regions across the country” by outgoing President Gustavo Petro.
Last week, both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved relocating the ceremony to Cali, instead of Bogotá, the capital, the traditional setting for presidential inaugurations.
De la Espriella chose the city because the southwest region has been plagued by guerrilla violence and drug trafficking for decades, and he aims to signal his support for the Armed Forces and the Police from the start of his administration.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by King Felipe VI of Spain, alongside the presidents of Argentina (Javier Milei), Ecuador (Daniel Noboa), Paraguay (Santiago Peña), Costa Rica (Laura Fernández), Panama (José Raúl Mulino), the Dominican Republic (Luis Abinader), Chile (José Antonio Kast), and Honduras (Nasry Asfura).
El Salvador and Guatemala will be represented by their vice presidents, Félix Ulfox and Karin Herrera, respectively.
The event will also be attended by Curacao Prime Minister Gilmar Pisa, representing the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the foreign ministers of Brazil (Mauro Vieira) and Israel (Gideon Sa’ar); and a large delegation from the United States.
De la Espriella’s inauguration will take place at the USC Arena of the Santiago de Cali University, with over 11,000 members of the Armed Forces and Police tasked with ensuring the security of the attendees. EFE
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