At least 11 wounded by Colombia car bomb days before presidential election

What the report says

A car bomb in Colombia’s border city of Cucuta wounded at least 11 people on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera’s report, coming just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is due to take office. Local security officials said the injured included eight police officers and three civilians. The blast happened near a police station in the city, which sits close to Venezuela and has long been affected by armed groups and criminal networks.

No organisation had claimed responsibility at the time of the report. Al Jazeera noted that several armed actors remain active in the region, including the ELN, dissident factions of the FARC and the Clan del Golfo. The attack added to a campaign season already marked by violence and fears over security in Colombia, where rebel and criminal groups have used bombs, drones and other attacks in recent years.

De la Espriella condemned the bombing online and repeated his promise to take a hard line against rebel groups and criminal organisations. The millionaire lawyer and businessman, who has not previously held public office, is set to replace outgoing President Gustavo Petro on August 7. His victory signals a sharp shift from Petro’s peace-through-dialogue approach and comes amid debate over Colombia’s security strategy, its cocaine economy and close ties with the United States.

The report also places the attack in the wider context of Colombia’s six-decade internal conflict and the deadly political violence that has shadowed the country’s elections.