Colombia Seizes Explosives-Rigged Bus Targeting President-Elect Inauguration

Colombian authorities intercepted a bus rigged with 420 kilograms of explosives in Santander de Quilichao, Cauca province, on Wednesday. Pedro Sánchez, the Colombian Defense Minister, stated that the vehicle was intended to attack military and police installations in Cali during the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the plot was orchestrated by a commander known as Max Max, who operates within a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla group led by Iván Mordisco. The seizure occurred just days before the inauguration scheduled for August 7.

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella moved the inauguration ceremony from the traditional site in Bogotá to Cali to signal a commitment to government decentralization. The event is expected to host various international leaders and diplomats.