Petro reacts to the escalation of violence on the eve of the election in Colombia

Colombia records a new wave of violence in the southwest of the country, with 26 attacks recorded in just two days in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. The most serious episode occurred on Saturday (25), when an explosion on the Pan-American Highway, in Cajibío, left at least 20 dead and 48 injured. Faced with the offensive, President Gustavo Petro classified the perpetrators as “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers” and announced exceptional state response measures.

The escalation of violence occurs just over a month before the presidential elections scheduled for May 31, reigniting the debate on public security – a central theme of the campaign. Candidates such as Iván Cepeda, Paloma Valencia and Abelardo de la Espriella have already reported death threats.

“Their boss is called Marlon, fully identified by police and military intelligence,” said Petro, calling for “maximum global persecution” against the narco-terrorist group. “They are delinquent criminals against humanity and should be treated that way. They want the extreme right: fascism, to govern Colombia because they know that they do their cocaine and illicit gold business with them,” he added.

Criminal offensive leaves trail of destruction
According to authorities, the attacks began on Friday (24) and intensified over the weekend. The most lethal attack hit more than a dozen vehicles in the El Túnel region, causing a crater on the road and scattering debris for meters. Among the victims confirmed by the National Institute of Legal Medicine, there are 15 women and five men; Preliminarily, five minors were among the injured.

In addition to the explosion on the highway, actions were recorded against strategic infrastructure, including an aerial radar in El Tambo. The governor of Cauca, Octavio Guzmán, reported simultaneous incidents in municipalities such as Caloto, Popayán, Guachené, Mercaderes and Miranda. “This is a direct offensive against life, against a defenseless people,” said Guzmán.

Petro announces “maximum” response and calls international bodies
In a publication on platform He identified the leader of the attacks as “Marlon”, the pseudonym of Iván Jacobo Idrobo Arredondo.

Petro announced a set of immediate measures:

• Reinforcement of more than 13 armored cavalry and 12 infantry platoons in the region;
• Reward of up to 5 billion Colombian pesos (around R$7 million) for information leading to the capture of those responsible;
• Activation of the UIAF (Financial Information and Analysis Unit) to track the group’s assets;
• Preparation of a complaint before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

“I want the Caucano people to free themselves from this mafia, debris of violence”, declared the president, who also defended his government’s record in combating drug trafficking.

FARC dissidents under the command of “Marlon” and “Mordisco”
Authorities attribute responsibility for the attacks to Marlon and Iván Mordisco, dissidents from the now-defunct FARC. According to investigations, “Marlon” received amnesty from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in 2017, but returned to the armed struggle in 2019. He is attributed with at least eight attacks, including the murder of candidate Karina García, in 2019.

The commander of the Armed Forces, Hugo Alejandro López Barreto, stated that the offensive is a response to the “constant pressure” of military operations in Cauca and on the border with Valle del Cauca. “Faced with this offensive, these criminals are turning to terrorism in a desperate attempt to relieve the pressure,” he explained.

Presidential elections under the shadow of insecurity
While the opposition criticizes the Petro government’s “total peace” policy, alleging that it would have allowed the strengthening of illegal groups, the Executive argues that the announced measures demonstrate responsiveness. In the department of Cauca, three days of official mourning were declared, and local authorities are asking for a reinforced presence from the State.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the attacks “prove the weakness and cowardice” of the dissidents. “We will strengthen our presence with additional technology for surveillance and prevention”, he assured. The Armed Forces maintain constant aerial surveillance in the region to prevent further attacks.