Another serious explosion has struck northeastern Colombia, raising fresh questions about security in an area that has for years remained under pressure from armed groups and trafficking networks. According to local authorities, one person was killed and 11 others were injured near a police station in Los Patios.
The attack near the police station
The explosion happened around midnight in Los Patios, part of the Cúcuta metropolitan area, near the border with Venezuela.
According to official reports, the explosive device had been placed in a vehicle parked near the police station. Police personnel are also believed to be among the injured.
Presidential reaction
Colombian President Abelardo de la Esperanza condemned the attack and said those responsible would be prosecuted.
In a post on the social media platform X, he wrote that Colombia would not submit to terrorism. At this stage, authorities have not made public any confirmed responsibility for the incident.
An area with a history of violence
This is the second attack of this kind in the Cúcuta area within a few weeks. In August, 11 police officers were injured in another explosion near a police station in the city.
In that case, the authorities’ official version blamed the National Liberation Army, ELN, the country’s largest rebel group.
Why Cúcuta remains a hotspot
The area around Cúcuta has long been considered one of the most tense areas in Colombia because of clashes between armed groups and drug trafficking gangs.
These groups seek control of smuggling routes into Venezuela, while the weakening of state control in some territories has created conditions for the return of violence, even after the peace agreement with FARC about a decade ago.
Although the agreement with FARC significantly reduced violence in many parts of the country, in some regions the conflict has re-emerged with force.
Clashes between smaller armed groups and government forces show that the stability declared by institutions remains fragile on the ground.