(Bogota) Eight police officers were killed Friday in an “explosive attack” in Colombia, announced President Gustavo Petro, who wants to implement since his recent taking office a policy of “total peace”.
Updated yesterday at 11:01 p.m.
“I strongly condemn the bombing that killed 8 police officers in San Luis, Huila. Solidarity with their families,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
The attack took place in a rural area more than two hours from Neiva, the largest town in the department of Huila.
It was an “attack on a police patrol”, a police spokeswoman told AFP, adding that explosives had been used and that the police had been killed by “fire. fire arms “.
The authorities have not yet provided any information on the perpetrators of these acts. According to the prosecutor’s office, the police were returning to their barracks in San Luis when they fell into an “ambush”.
This attack is the most serious committed against public forces in Colombia since the arrival at the presidency of Gustavo Petro in early August.
Saying he wanted to break with the old doctrine of the “internal enemy”, the first left-wing president in the country’s history replaced the entire military command on August 12, including the police, emphasizing that his mission would henceforth be “the reduction of violence, crime, and a substantial increase in respect for human rights and public freedoms”.
With this in mind, he also wants to implement a policy of “total peace”, aimed at finding a compromise with the drug traffickers who are rampant in the country to put an end to the armed conflict which has lasted for nearly 60 years.
In particular, he offered “legal advantages” to members of the Clan del Golfo, the most powerful criminal gang in the country, in exchange for their surrender.
“Sabotage”
Apart from ongoing negotiations with drug traffickers, Mr. Petro is about to resume peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN, Guevarist), the last recognized guerrilla in Colombia, which is also financed through drug trafficking. drug.
“These events express a clear sabotage of total peace. I asked the authorities to travel to the territory to resume the investigation, “said the president on Twitter. Mr Petro traveled to Neiva shortly after the incident to make “urgent decisions” with the police chief, he said.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz, also condemned the attack and called for “relentless insistence on peace efforts”.
Defense Minister Iván Velásquez called on the armed forces to “respond forcefully to this attack on peace”.
Breakaway FARC factions are present in the area where the attack took place, according to information released in July from the office of the country’s human rights ombudsman.
Despite Gustavo Petro’s outstretched hand, Colombia continues to be plagued by an escalation of violence, with armed groups fighting over drug trafficking and illegal mining revenues in several parts of the country.
On the eve of the change of government, the Clan del Golfo murdered about twenty soldiers in the north of the country.
According to the outgoing government, the Clan was seeking through this show of force to position itself for peace negotiations with Mr. Petro.