BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Two deadly attacks in Colombia on Thursday left at least 13 people dead and dozens more injured, intensifying fears the country may be sliding back into a cycle of violence reminiscent of its past.
In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, a truck bomb detonated near a military base, killing at least five people and injuring dozens. Graphic videos shared online showed bodies on the ground and debris scattered around a burning vehicle.
Hours later, another attack struck the town of Amalfi, compounding a day of violence that U.S. and international officials condemned sharply. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized President Gustavo Petro’s government for failing to curb surging armed violence and record levels of cocaine production.
Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, warned on X that the bombings represented “an alarming deterioration in respect for basic rules of combat,” adding that the growing reliance on asymmetric attacks signals “a troubling turn in Colombia’s reconfigured conflict.”
Authorities believe the Cali bombing was carried out by a FARC dissident faction known as the Estado Mayor Central. The group has previously targeted police and military sites and warned civilians to stay away from security installations, raising concerns of escalating urban terrorism.
