A coordinated series of bombings and armed attacks across southwestern Colombia killed at least eight people and wounded several others on June 10, exposing the mounting security challenges facing President Gustavo Petro's embattled administration.

The string of violence follows the assassination attempt on opposition senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay on June 7, heightening fears that the country could slip back into the instability that plagued it during the 1980s and 1990s. Attacks targeted multiple locations across Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments. Car bombs detonated in El Bordo and Corinto, while additional explosive devices were discovered along major transport routes.

Defence minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed 12 separate incidents occurred during the morning, attributing the attacks to dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The timing coincided with the anniversary of the death of alias Jacobo Arenas, suggesting symbolic significance for the perpetrators.

According to El Observador, key infrastructure including police stations, municipal buildings, and transport corridors became primary targets in what authorities described as a calculated campaign to destabilise regional security.

The escalation follows the government's suspension in April of a ceasefire with the FARC faction Estado Mayor Central, dealing a significant blow to Petro's flagship "Total Peace" policy. Intelligence sources indicate the attacks originated from dissident groups operating under the Iván Mordisco structure, which has rejected peace agreements and maintains control over coca-producing territories.

The affected regions serve as crucial transit points for Colombia's agricultural exports, with the Cali-Palmira corridor handling substantial cargo volumes destined for Pacific ports. Market analysts warn that prolonged instability could damage Colombia's competitiveness in international commodity markets, particularly affecting coffee and flower exports, Infobae reported.

Alejandro Eder, mayor of Cali, where three explosions occurred within 20 minutes, said he would convene a security council to address the emergency. "The country is experiencing a delicate situation; it cannot return to the 1980s," he said.

The violence forms part of broader armed group confrontations that have intensified since January, when clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo region resulted in more than 80 civilian deaths.

Critics argue the government's peace strategy has failed to address fundamental territorial control issues, allowing criminal organisations to exploit areas previously controlled by demobilised FARC units. January was recorded as Colombia's deadliest month since Petro took office in 2022, highlighting deteriorating security conditions despite his peace-building efforts.

The attacks come amid heightened political tensions surrounding Petro's administration. The president has dismissed investigations into his 2022 campaign financing as an attempted "coup d'état", while opposition figures have intensified criticism of his security policies.

The violence lays bare the challenges facing Colombia's first leftist president, who assumed office in 2022 with ambitious peace-building goals. January 2025 was recorded as Colombia's deadliest month since Petro came to power, demonstrating deteriorating security conditions despite his "Total Peace" strategy.

Some commentators claim the wave of violence forms part of an organised campaign to destabilise the country, with media coverage amplifying incidents in support of what they term a coup against Petro. Meanwhile, political opposition figures have ramped up criticism of the administration, citing the turmoil and recent attack on Uribe Turbay as unequivocal evidence of failed security policies.

Government officials, however, maintain that current incidents represent isolated actions by marginal groups rather than a systematic breakdown of peace efforts. The administration is now under mounting pressure to demonstrate concrete results in quelling violence while resuming dialogue with remaining armed groups.