Colombia endured one of its bloodiest days in recent months on Thursday after a police helicopter was shot down in Antioquia and a car bomb ripped through the city of Cali, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens more.President Gustavo Petro said on X that eight police officers died when their helicopter came under attack during an operation to eradicate coca crops, the raw material used to produce cocaine. The aircraft was hit by a drone and caught fire before crashing, according to preliminary findings from defence minister Pedro Sánchez. Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián confirmed the strike occurred as the helicopter flew over coca fields.Authorities said several others were injured in the incident, though their conditions were not immediately released.Videos circulating on social media showed the helicopter engulfed in black smoke as it crashed to the ground.Just hours later, a vehicle packed with explosives detonated outside a military aviation school in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city. Officials confirmed five people were killed and more than 30 were wounded.Cali’s mayor, Alejandro Eder, said 36 were injured and announced a temporary ban on large trucks entering the city, along with a $10,000 reward for information.“There were fatalities among people passing by on the avenue,” eyewitness Alexis Atizabal was quoted as saying by AFP, describing widespread destruction across nearby homes and schools.Petro initially suggested the powerful Gulf Clan drug cartel was behind the helicopter attack, saying it could have been retaliation for a cocaine seizure. However, he later blamed dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), particularly the Central General Staff (EMC) led by warlord Iván Mordisco. He vowed to designate EMC, Segunda Marquetalia and the Clan del Golfo as terrorist organisations.Bloomberg reported Petro warning that EMC fighters carried out both the helicopter strike and the Cali bombing. The president, who came to power in 2022 promising “total peace” through dialogue with armed groups, has faced criticism that his softer approach has emboldened guerrillas and cartels.According to the United Nations, coca cultivation in Colombia hit a record 253,000 hectares in 2023. Experts say the rise in production, along with escalating violence, signals that armed groups are regaining power despite the 2016 peace deal with FARC.Neighbouring communities fear a return to the dark days of the 1980s and 1990s, when cartel bombings and political killings were common. “Our country is going through the darkest, saddest, and most painful days,” said María Claudia Tarazona, widow of assassinated presidential candidate Miguel Uribe, during his funeral earlier this month, reported AFP.
