Eight police officers were killed Friday in an “explosive attack” in the south-west of Colombia, announced the president of the South American country, Gustavo Petro.
“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 “gunfire”. fire arms”.
The authorities have not yet provided any information on the perpetrators of these acts.
Most serious attack of the Petro era
This attack is the most serious committed against public forces in Colombia since the arrival at the presidency of Gustavo Petro at the beginning of 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 wants to implement a policy of “total peace”, aimed at finding a compromise with the drug traffickers who are rampant in the country and putting an end to the armed conflict which has lasted for almost 60 years.
In particular, he offered “legal benefits” to members of the Clan del Golfo, the most powerful criminal gang in the country, in exchange for their surrender.
In addition to 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, ”assailed the president on Twitter.