00:00The attack left four people dead, including a two-month-old baby, and 17 wounded.
00:05with explosives that occurred on November 1st in Planadas, Tolima. The explosion also
00:10It destroyed nearly 80% of the municipal hospital's infrastructure and damaged several homes.
00:16For several years, residents of this municipality in southern Tolima have been denouncing
00:21extortion, threats, and forced displacement by armed groups that carry out
00:26presence in the region. What were the alerts regarding the security situation in Planadas?
00:30To understand the security situation in the municipality, we have to go back to 2017.
00:35In May of that year, El Espectador documented the unease that was being experienced in Gaitana, a district
00:40of Planadas, where attacks, extortion, and threats against residents had been reported
00:44the area, even after the signing of the peace agreement with the FARC. Two years later, in
00:49In December 2019, reports of the presence of armed groups resurfaced.
00:54Jorge Enrique Espitia, then Secretary of Government of Planadas, warned about the increase
00:59from extortion of merchants and pressure for residents of the region to join
01:04to armed groups. He also reported that several people had gone to the ombudsman's office.
01:08to report forced displacements. In one of those incidents, a 14-year-old boy
01:13He was wounded by gunfire during an armed attack in which two men who were traveling
01:18They were on a motorcycle and intended to shoot at other people. The concern over the spread
01:23The armed groups continued their activities. In July 2022, the Ombudsman's Office issued
01:28An early warning was issued for Planadas, Chaparral, Río Blanco, and Ataco. The agency warned.
01:34on the growth of FARC dissidents and the risks it posed to
01:38approximately 118,000 residents of those four municipalities. The alert identified the presence
01:43of two structures, the second Marquetalia, then headed by alias Iván Márquez,
01:48and the Western Coordinating Command, associated with alias Iván Mordisco. Among the risks
01:54They were warned about recruitment, displacement, extortion, and homicides.
01:59But the threats were not limited to the civilian population. On August 24, 2026, the Party
02:06Conservative denounced that armed men identified as belonging to the Jerónimo Galeano Front of
02:10FARC dissidents intimidated the mayor of Planadas, Juan Camilo Hueje, during
02:15an activity in the La Esmeralda village. According to the community, the men disarmed
02:20The members of the president's security detail were forced to jump into the
02:24floor and held them at gunpoint. Last November 1, when the communities believed that the wave of
02:29Violence had receded from his municipality, but the attacks returned.
02:33On Sunday night, a dump truck loaded with explosives was detonated in the neighborhood
02:37airport, near a military base. However, according to preliminary information
02:42According to authorities, the target was the military installation; the explosion ended
02:47affecting the civilian population and the municipal hospital. The attack left four people dead.
02:51dead, including a two-month-old baby, and 17 injured. It also caused damage to nearby
02:57of 80% of the hospital infrastructure and forced the evacuation of patients who were
03:03They were found at the scene. The governor of Tolima, Adriana Matiz, stated preliminarily
03:08Jerónimo Galeano, from the FARC dissidents, is at the forefront as the possible perpetrator of the attack.
03:13He also warned of the possibility of further attacks in other southern municipalities.
03:18of the department. This occurred amidst a day of violence that also affected
03:23to Balboa, in Cauca, and Algeciras, in Huila. In less than 24 hours, the attacks with explosives
03:28They left fatalities, injured people, and damage to homes and infrastructure.
03:33Following the attacks, the military announced the deployment of troops to the three
03:38municipalities and the strengthening of operations to protect the population and identify
03:43Those responsible. The ombudsperson, Iris Marín, warned
03:46that the risk scenario has worsened due to the dispute between armed groups and
03:51the expansion of illegal mining in southern Tolima. Thus, the
03:55The November 1st attack brings back to the forefront the warnings that have been circulating for years.
04:00What have communities and human rights organizations done regarding the situation of
04:04public order in Planadas.
