Colombia: toll booth destroyed by explosives after new president's inauguration

Herz — World Desk · 8 August 2026 at 20:28 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What we know

A toll booth under construction on the Pan-American Highway near Cali was destroyed by explosives on August 8, 2026, according to Le Monde. The Colombian military attributes the attack to FARC dissidents — groups of former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia who refused to lay down arms after the 2016 peace treaty with the government, or who resumed fighting after demobilizing.

The attack occurred the day after the inauguration of the new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, which was held in this same city of Cali.

De la Espriella's inauguration

A 48-year-old criminal defense lawyer, Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated as president of Colombia on August 7, 2026 in Cali. This is the first Colombian presidential inauguration held outside Bogotá.

He won the presidential runoff on June 21, 2026 against left-wing senator Iván Cepeda. He succeeds Gustavo Petro, whose absence from the ceremony was noted.

The president's first announcements

In his inauguration speech, de la Espriella promised to fight "relentlessly narco-terrorism and all criminal organizations." He announced the end of peace talks initiated by his predecessor and ordered the armed forces to target all criminal structures.

relentlessly narco-terrorism and all criminal organizations

— Abelardo de la Espriella, presidential inauguration, Cali, August 7, 2026

On the security front, he also announced the construction of a megaprison and the launch of a coca eradication campaign.

On the economic front, de la Espriella plans to freeze public spending and eliminate wealth taxes. He has made relaunching Ecopetrol — Colombia's national oil company and one of Latin America's four largest — an absolute priority.

Opposition and protest

Lawmakers from the Pacto Histórico — a left-wing Colombian political party — boycotted the inauguration ceremony and organized demonstrations in several cities across the country.

Former presidential candidate Iván Cepeda announced the formation of an alternative cabinet designed to oversee the incoming government.

Timeline

1. June 21, 2026
   Abelardo de la Espriella wins the presidential runoff against senator Iván Cepeda.
2. De la Espriella is inaugurated as president in Cali — the first Colombian presidential inauguration held outside Bogotá. He announces the end of peace talks, a coca eradication campaign, and the relaunching of Ecopetrol.