Security update
October 8: a truck bomb at an army base in Cauca and an ELN scare in Barranquilla
Here's what happened since the last update, and what each one means.
1A truck bomb at the army base in Miranda, Cauca
On the morning of October 8, a dump truck carrying 8 explosive devices was left next to the army's Mountain Battalion No. 8, in the El Porvenir neighborhood of Miranda, in northern Cauca. The army says the attackers abandoned the truck when they saw the troops, and then 2 of the 8 devices went off. No soldiers or civilians were reported hurt. The army says the attack put more than 300 people who live in or pass through the area at risk, and it blames the Dagoberto Ramos front of Mordisco's FARC dissidents. The same base was hit with explosives on April 26, reportedly dropped by drones.
What it meansCauca has had 2 bomb attacks on the security forces in 2 days: the roadside bomb against a police patrol in Popayán on October 7, and this one. Both went off in town, where people live.
2ELN flags and cylinders in Barranquilla and Soledad
Early on October 8, a flag and cylinders referring to the ELN were found in Ciudadela 20 de Julio, in Barranquilla. Hours later, 2 more cylinders turned up in a parking lot near the Soledad bus terminal. Bomb technicians found no explosives in them. Part of the area was cordoned off and traffic slowed. Police and prosecutors captured alias "Kleiver," of the Los Costeños gang, who had an active arrest warrant for aggravated theft. Investigators say he drove the vehicle that carried the cylinders and the flag. Police are still looking for the vehicle and a second person.
What it meansThere were no explosives, and it still had police cordoning off part of the area. The man arrested belongs to a local gang. Who ordered it, and why, hasn't been established. The president: "I will not allow them to intimidate Colombians while I am president."
3A new plan for the highways
On October 8, the government announced a road security plan agreed with the freight sector by the Defense and Transport ministries. It includes Plan Meteoro, which puts more police and army on the main highways. It adds escorts for cargo convoys on priority routes and starts a pilot of drone surveillance on strategic corridors. The #767 line for reporting problems on the road is being strengthened.
What it means for usMany of us drive between cities. Expect more police and army on the main highways. Save #767 in your phone to report trouble on the road.
4The CRIC answers the president
The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca, CRIC) says its October 11 to 14 summit in Caldono is not a strike and doesn't include road blockades. Its human rights coordinator, Mauricio Capaz, questioned the government's warnings and said they come from a wrong reading of the CRIC's call.
What it means for usBoth sides now say there will be no blockades. The president says he won't allow them, and the CRIC says it isn't planning any. If you travel in Cauca October 11 to 14, check the roads before you go anyway.
5119 extraditions in 60 days
On October 8, the president said he signed 9 more extraditions, for a total of 119 in his 60 days in office. He didn't name the people. He wrote: "Colombia will not be a refuge for criminals or a hideout for those who seek to evade international justice."
What it meansAnyone wanted abroad who is caught here is being sent to face trial there, and fast.
On social media
He didn't post the Miranda truck bomb or the highway plan. His Barranquilla post has drawn 81,000 views and 3,700 likes, and the replies are all support, with low likes. The most-liked: "I'm not Colombian, but it gives me tremendous pleasure to see them go after these criminals!!!" (29 likes) Another: "The capture of these criminals must be prioritized; a dead criminal is the guarantee that they will never commit another crime." (10 likes) The new theme is people asking him to look at their own region: "Dear President, we have to look with the eyes of the TIGER at the beautiful department of Cauca. And bite all those parasites who sow terror." (9 likes) Another asked him to follow up on a crime in Nariño from a month and a half ago that still has no arrests. (9 likes) The one critic says the roads in Huila are covered with "those flags": "When will the rest of the Miracle Country be included, or was it just the Miracle Coast?" (2 likes) His morning roundup of captures drew 37,000 views and 2,600 likes. His biggest post of the day was a birthday message to his wife: 89,000 views and 6,800 likes. This comes from the top replies on X, not a poll.
I support most of this. But it doesn't go far enough. These groups use any space they're given to reset and grow. They need to be crushed, not contained.