Colombia truck bomb wounds 14 ahead of presidential inauguration

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.