Eight policemen die in bomb attack

Eight police officers died on Friday in an attack with explosives by an illegal armed group in a mountainous area in southwestern Colombia, reported President Gustavo Petro, in what is the first high-impact assault against the Armed Forces since the new government took office. promising to end the conflict.

“I strongly reject the attack with explosives that killed eight policemen in San Luis, Huila. Solidarity with their families,” wrote Petro on his Twitter account without holding any group responsible for the attack.

The attack was recorded in a rural area of ​​the San Luis corregimiento, in the department of Huila. The attackers activated an explosive charge as a vehicle in which the policemen were traveling passed by on a highway, sources from the National Police said.

“These events express a clear sabotage of total peace. I have asked the authorities to travel to the territory to take over the investigation,” added Petro.

FARC dissidents who distanced themselves from a peace agreement signed in 2016 have a presence in the area, according to military and police sources.

Petro promised to give him a new opportunity for negotiations with the ELN and that it will seek to achieve a “total peace”.

The new government has also assured that it will focus on protecting the lives of social leaders and signatories of the peace agreement, by articulating an “Emergency Plan for the protection of the lives of social leaders.”

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Iván Velásquez Gómez, rejection Through a tweet, the act of violence occurred in Neiva while sending a message of consolation and at the same time promising the actions of the authorities. “All my solidarity with the families of the 8 murdered servers. The Armed Forces must respond forcefully to this attack on peace.”

Velásquez’s predecessor and former Minister of Defense during the government of Iván Duque, Diego Molano, also repudiation the attempt. “It is cowardly to assassinate 8 policemen in Huila, just to position themselves for ‘Total Peace’. Solidarity with the families of our heroes. Peace is won with respect for the lives of EVERYONE and with prior demands on armed groups. Colombia does not surrender! ”, He pointed out.

^{* With information from Reuters.}

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