Abelardo de la Espriella takes office. The attack injured 11 police officers and three civilians, with two officers "fighting for their lives," according to Norte de Santander governor William Villamizar.

The Bogota government blamed the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's largest active guerrilla group. De la Espriella, a right-wing millionaire lawyer set to be sworn in on August 7, condemned the attack as "an atrocious, violent act," posting that "terrorism will not intimidate Colombia." Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez offered a reward of over USD 64,000 for information leading to the perpetrators' arrest. The United Nations also condemned the blast.

Guerrilla groups have issued warnings to De la Espriella, who plans to end the peace negotiations his predecessor held with various armed organizations. Those talks with the ELN halted in January 2025 after the group killed more than 100 people in an offensive in the northeast.

Colombia is the world's largest cocaine producer, and the ELN Americas' oldest surviving guerrilla group—finances itself through drug trafficking. With support from US President Donald Trump's government, De la Espriella has promised to intensify the fight against guerrillas and drug trafficking organizations amid the country's worst wave of violence in a decade, and plans to forge a military alliance with the US and Israel.

Notably, he requested his inauguration be moved from Bogota to Cali in the southwest, a region plagued by clashes between drug gangs and guerrillas. The event will involve a massive security deployment of about 11,000 soldiers and police, as De la Espriella has repeatedly alleged a plot to assassinate him. The election campaign was marked by political violence, including the 2025 shooting death of Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, visiting Cuba in his final days, has not yet commented on the attack. (Bssnews)