A car bomb exploded at a toll plaza on Colombia's Pan-American Highway just one day after Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president, signaling an early test for the new hardline administration. The attack, which the military attributes to dissident factions of the former FARC rebel group, left two security guards with minor injuries. It came as de la Espriella, a far-right lawyer and political newcomer, has vowed to abandon the previous government's dialogue-first approach in favor of a militarized crackdown. Main Developments The explosion occurred on Saturday in the coastal department of Cauca, targeting a toll plaza along the Pan-American Highway. A witness reported that an individual abandoned the car and escaped on a motorcycle before the blast. Two security guards sustained minor injuries, according to authorities. Colombia's military has blamed two armed groups that splintered from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which disarmed following a 2016 peace deal with the government. The attack comes just a day after de la Espriella's inauguration, raising immediate questions about his ability to deliver on campaign promises to restore order. Read also: Trump Attorney Takes Justice Department Helm After Tie-Break Vote Transportation Minister Elsa Noguera responded swiftly, posting on social media that "Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions." She echoed the president's inaugural address, in which he pledged to "defeat narco-terrorism" and announced that "the time for restoring order has begun." Background Colombia has endured more than six decades of internal armed conflict involving right-wing paramilitaries, left-wing rebels, government forces, and criminal networks. The country remains the world's largest producer of coca, the raw ingredient for cocaine, which fuels much of the violence. De la Espriella, a political newcomer, won a narrow victory in June's run-off election, defeating leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda by less than one percent of the vote. His rise aligns with a broader trend across Latin America, where right-wing figures have capitalized on public concerns about crime and insecurity to win office. The new president has explicitly rejected the "Total Peace" approach of his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who became Colombia's first left-wing leader in 2022. While Petro's plan emphasized dialogue with armed groups, it also involved military force. De la Espriella declared in his inaugural speech that the option of dialogue was "exhausted." Why It Matters The bombing underscores the security challenges facing de la Espriella's administration, which has promised a return to a more militarized strategy. He has received backing from U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration has pledged $1 billion in security aid after a period of tense relations with Petro. Trump has also encouraged right-wing leaders across the region to adopt harder-line tactics against crime and narcotics. De la Espriella has vowed to bomb boats and planes suspected of carrying illicit drugs, mirroring a campaign Trump conducted in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. However, such tactics have drawn warnings from rights groups about the potential for abuses by government forces. The attack on the highway may test whether the new president's approach can deliver tangible results without escalating tensions. What's Next With a four-year term ahead and no possibility of re-election, de la Espriella faces pressure to show early progress on security. The car bombing is likely to intensify calls for a swift, visible response from his administration. Observers will watch whether the promised militarized measures lead to a reduction in violence or provoke further attacks from armed groups. The international community, particularly the Trump administration, will also be monitoring the effectiveness of the new strategy as it unfolds.