Colombian Security Forces Neutralize Explosives in Meta and Near Cali

The Colombian Army located and destroyed a cache of explosives in the rural area of La Reforma, Mesetas municipality, Meta. The depot contained 10 kg of pentolita, 6 kg of black powder and 10 m of detonating cord, which authorities said belonged to the Ever Castro structure of FARC dissident groups led by alias Calarcá. The material was safely detonated by army specialists, removing a potential threat to civilians and security forces in the department.

Separately, the National Police’s bomb‑disposal unit neutralised a bus carrying unknown explosives near Villa Rica in northern Cauca, about 20 minutes from the southern entrance to Cali. The operation, carried out in the early hours of 5 August, established a security perimeter and prevented any possible attack ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony scheduled for 7 August in Cali. Investigators have not yet identified the perpetrators or the intended target.