Bogotá, (EFE).- At least 13 people were killed and more than 20 injured on Thursday in two coordinated attacks in Colombia, a car bomb near a military aviation school in Cali and the downing of a police helicopter in Antioquia, prompting Colombian Gustavo Petro to announce he will classify armed groups including Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissidents and the Clan del Golfo as “terrorist organizations.”
The first blast struck Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, where a truck bomb detonated near the Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School.
Authorities confirmed at least five fatalities and 14 injuries.
The attack echoed a wave of coordinated bombings in June that killed eight people in Valle del Cauca and the neighboring department of Cauca.
Those incidents were attributed to the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest faction of FARC dissidents.
Hours later, in the rural municipality of Amalfi, Antioquia, a police helicopter was reportedly hit by a drone while providing security for cocaine eradication operations.
The crash killed eight officers and left eight more wounded.
“This is terrorism. What happened in Cali irradiates panic among civilians, and it is the second such event during my government,” Petro said, calling the acts “crimes against humanity” that could fall under International Criminal Court jurisdiction.
Petro targets armed groups with new designation
Speaking at a land restitution event in Valledupar, Petro said his government’s investigations identified the Clan del Golfo, the EMC faction of FARC dissidents led by Iván Mordisco, and the Segunda Marquetalia as what he called “the board of directors of narcotrafficking.”
“I have made a decision: these organizations must be considered terrorist groups, prosecutable anywhere in the world, including Bogotá,” the president declared.
Petro explained the distinction between combat among armed groups and attacks deliberately designed to terrorize civilians.
“Terrorists are those who instill fear in the civilian population. That is what we saw today in Cali and Amalfi,” he said, requesting a minute of silence for the victims.
Conflict and peace process under strain
Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict, which left over 450,000 dead and millions displaced, formally shifted in 2016 when the FARC signed a peace deal with the government.
However, dissident factions of the guerrilla group, along with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and paramilitary successor organizations, continue to wage violence tied to drug trafficking and illegal activities in areas historically affected by armed conflict.
President Petro, Colombia’s first leftist leader, has promoted a “Total Peace” strategy since taking office in 2022, seeking negotiations with all illegal armed actors.
But repeated attacks have fueled criticism that the policy has emboldened groups rather than curbing violence.
The June bombings in Valle del Cauca and Cauca, along with Thursday’s attacks in Cali and Antioquia, highlighted the presence of armed groups in regions where the state presence is distant.
While no group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s bomb in Cali, the synchronized nature of the strikes has intensified fear among the population and criticism from election candidates.
Colombia’s security remains on high alert, with reinforcements deployed in both affected areas. EFE
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