MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia: Terrorist attack leaves 6 dead and over 70 wounded

“What is happening in Cali is an act that spreads panic among the civilian population,” Petro argued

At least six civilians were killed and 71 other people were wounded following an explosion Thursday at the Marco Fidel Suárez Colombian Air Force Base in Cali, caused by an attack with cylinder bombs thrown from a truck, which missed the military facilities and hit a nearby street, damaging homes and vehicles and injuring people, including passengers on a bus.

 President Gustavo Petro attributed the attack to drug trafficking groups seeking revenge for government actions. He specifically named a group called the 'La Junta del Narcotráfico' and its armed factions, demanding that the international community label them as a terrorist organization. The leftwing leader also stated that the attack was a reaction to the military's success in Operation Perseo, which has been targeting these groups in the Micay Canyon.

Authorities have captured one suspect, identified as alias 'Sebastián,' a member of a group linked to the attack. The government of Valle del Cauca and the city of Cali have offered a reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible.

Petro traveled to Cali to hold a security council meeting, but refused to declare a state of emergency, stating that the government would focus on other measures to pacify the region while ensuring that military operations against these armed groups would continue.

“A combat between forces carrying weapons is not the same as killing unarmed civilians. To that extent, what is happening in Cali is an act that spreads panic among the civilian population, murdering them systematically [...] and resulting in a high number of civilians being systematically killed,” said Petro.

“Terrorism is the new expression of the factions that claim to be led by Iván Mordisco and that have submitted to the control of 'La Junta del Narcotráfico',” he added.

This organization is “the heir to the paramilitary capital bloc, leading the dissidents of Iván Mordisco, the Segunda Marquetalia, and the Clan del Golfo” and should therefore be designated globally as a “terrorist organization,” he insisted.

“The government considers here and asks the world to consider 'La Junta del Narcotráfico' as a terrorist organization, along with its armed gangs in Cauca, Guaviare, Antioquia, and the Colombian Caribbean,” he further demanded.