A truck loaded with explosives exploded near a police station in the city of Cúcuta, near the border with Venezuela, injuring 14 people. The incident comes at a fragile political moment for Colombia, just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella takes office.
14 injured, two police officers in critical condition
According to Colombian authorities, 11 police officers and three civilians were injured in the explosion. The governor of the Norte de Santander department, William Villamizar, said that two of the officers are in critical condition.
The explosion occurred near a police station in Cúcuta, a sensitive area because of its proximity to the Venezuelan border and its history of armed tensions.
Government blames ELN for the attack
The official version from Bogota attributes the attack to the National Liberation Army, the ELN, the largest guerrilla group still active in Colombia. At this stage, responsibility has been presented by the authorities as a political and investigative accusation.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez called the perpetrators “narco-terrorists” and announced a reward of more than $64,000 for information that could lead to their arrest.
The attack comes on the eve of the new president’s inauguration
The incident comes just days before Abelardo de la Espriella is due to officially take office as president on August 7. The president-elect condemned the attack and said his approach would be tougher toward armed groups.
He is expected to succeed Gustavo Petro, the first left-wing president in Colombia’s history, and has warned that he will end the peace negotiations with armed groups launched by the current administration.
High security tension and relocated inauguration
Talks with the ELN had already been suspended in January 2025, after the group launched an offensive in the northeast of the country in which more than 100 people were killed. The latest attack further deepens the climate of insecurity that has marked recent months in Colombia.
Because of security concerns, the inauguration ceremony has been moved from Bogota to Cali. According to the authorities, around 11,000 soldiers and police officers will be deployed for security on land, in the air and at sea, in a country entering a transfer of power under intense pressure from political violence.
The United Nations reacted by condemning the attack and stressing that the incident has spread fear and insecurity among residents of the area.
Meanwhile, outgoing President Gustavo Petro is in Cuba and so far there has been no public reaction from him to the explosion.