Terrorist attack leaves at least 5 dead and 14 injured in Colombia

Colombia.– At least five people died and 14 were injured in a terrorist attack that occurred on the afternoon of this Thursday near the Marco Fidel Suárez air base, in Cali, as confirmed by President Gustavo Petro. The leader strongly condemned the attack, which he described as an act of terrorism directed against the civilian population.

“No es lo mismo un combate entre fuerzas que portan ambas armas que matar a civiles desarmados. Lo que acontece en Cali es un acto que irradia pánico en la población civil, asesinarla de manera sistemática”,

declaró Petro.

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The head of state attributed the attack to retaliation by drug trafficking groups against the actions taken by his government against organized crime.

“El terrorismo es la nueva expresión de las facciones que se dicen dirigidas por Iván Mordisco, y que se han supeditado al control de ‘La Junta del Narcotráfico’”,

aseguró el presidente.

Petro pointed out that this structure is "heir to the capital block of the paramilitaries," and that it currently directs the dissidents of Iván Mordisco, the Segunda Marquetalia and the Gulf Clan. In that sense, he called on the international community for that entity to be globally designated as a "terrorist organization".

“The Government considers here, and asks the world, to consider ‘The Drug Trafficking Board’ as a terrorist organization, and its armed gangs in Cauca, Guaviare, Antioquia and the Colombian Caribbean,” demanded the president.

Authorities are keeping the attack under investigation and further operations against those responsible are not ruled out.