Colombia's Surge in Violence: EMC's Deadly Attacks

0:00Saturday afternoon, a bomb ripped through traffic on Columbia's Pan-American highway, killing at least 20 people and injuring 56 more. Cars and minibuses were stuck behind an illegal roadblock when the improvised explosive device went off, marking one of the deadliest attacks in. Years. Authorities penned it on the Central General Staff, or EMC, a splinter group from the old FRC rebels who skipped the 2016 peace deal. Over the weekend, the EMC launched dozens more strikes across several provinces, showing off their grip on southwestern Columbia. These guys have stepped up their game with drones and modern tactics, outpacing even the cops, according to experts. It's all part of groups fighting for turf, leaving civilians caught in the middle. Folks are reeling as violent surges, with displacement and bomb victims hitting 10-year highs. Fighter numbers have doubled to 27,000 since 2018, fueled by pandemic fallout when young people got pulled into crime. Many see this as a sign, the country's security is crumbling fast.

1:03President Gustavo Petro wrote in on promises of total peace due talks, but analysts say it's backfired, letting groups expand without limits, and sparking more splinter fights. His teams inked just one small demobilization deal, and bigger negotiations are stalling as his term winds down next August. His presidential elections coming up at the end of May, securities the hot topic. Right-wing candidates want a hard crackdown, while Petro's allies push more talks. Whoever takes the helm faces real pressure to rein in these rebels and fix the chaos. That's the story for today. Canada News Today, Driven by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.