Two attacks with at least 18 dead and 65 injured shake Colombia

Bogotá.- A new wave of violence shook Colombia this Thursday with two almost simultaneous attacks that left 18 dead and more than 60 injured, events that the Government attributed to the FARC dissidents known as Estado Mayor Central. The first occurred in El Chispero, a rural area of Amalfi (Antioquia), where an Anti-narcotics Police helicopter was shot down during an operation to eradicate illicit crops, causing the death of the twelve uniformed personnel on board. Hours later, Cali was the scene of another tragedy: a truck loaded with explosives exploded next to the Marco Fidel Suárez Aviation Military School, leaving six civilians dead and 65 injured, as well as extensive damage on one of the city's busiest avenues. The authorities captured at the scene a suspected member of the EMC, identified by President Gustavo Petro as alias Sebastián, a member of a structure subordinate to the so-called Narcotrafficking Board, which the Government holds responsible for coordinating these actions. Given the seriousness of the events, Petro announced that both the EMC, the Segunda Marquetalia, and the Gulf Clan will be designated as terrorist organizations: "These factions must be pursued anywhere on the planet," assured the president, who traveled to Cali accompanied by the military leadership and did not rule out declaring a state of internal commotion.

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Reactions were immediate. Vice President Francia Márquez rejected what happened, calling it a "cowardly and criminal act." The Ombudsman's Office warned that the attacks represent a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law, as they were directed against the civilian population. From the opposition, former presidents Iván Duque and Juan Manuel Santos agreed on the urgency of strengthening security policy and decisively supporting the Armed Forces. Internationally, the UN and the Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, also condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the victims. Colombia, once again struck by barbarity, faces the challenge of containing armed groups that are disputing territories and illegal economies while society cries out for peace and justice.