Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez spoke about the situation of violence and public order that Colombia is experiencing after two attacks, both perpetrated this Thursday, August 21 in Antioquia and Valle del Cauca at different times of the day.
On Thursday morning, a police helicopter was reportedly shot down in an attack in the rural area of Amalfi, Antioquia, while accompanying an operation. The second attack was attempted in Cali, capital of Valle del Cauca, where a truck exploded in front of the Marco Fidel Suárez Air Base, in a highly commercial and residential area of the city.
As usual, the political leader of the Democratic Center party and strong opponent of the Gustavo Petro government, took to social media to give his opinion after these events that have left several Colombian families in mourning and left uncertainty about national security.
This time, the politician took the opportunity to criticize the violence occurring in the country and the state's response to the current situation. He also referred to the call for"international assistance" to end terrorism in Colombia.
"The pain that this violence adds every day, the weakening of the armed forces, the lack of commitment from the Government, this terrorist expansion, forces us to ask for international help," said the former head of state, who affirms that this collaboration is urgently needed to defeat terrorism in the country.
"We urgently need it now, or we will defeat this terrorism, even with international aid, because terrorism will destroy Colombia," Uribe said.
Either we defeat narcoterrorism, even with international help, or narcoterrorism will destroy Colombia.
— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) August 21, 2025
Helicopter shot down in Amalfi, Antioquia
A National Police helicopter was shot down in a rural area of Amalfi, northeast of Antioquia, while supporting manual eradication of illicit crops. The attack involved a drone loaded with explosives.
In an initial assessment, the governor of Antioquia, Andrés Julián Rendón, reported that six uniformed officers were killed and seven were injured. He also noted that both the Gulf Clan and dissident FARC groups, under the command of alias Calarcá, are present in the region. The group is believed to be primarily responsible for the ambush.
Hours later, the death toll rose: the toll rose to 12 police officers dead and four wounded. According to the report, the bodies could not be recovered by authorities due to harassment in the area.
Bomb attack in Cali, Valle del Cauca
At around 2:50 p.m., two explosions were recorded in the vicinity of the Marco Fidel Suárez Air Base, in the area known as La Base neighborhood.
The first official report from the Unified Command Post of the Mayor's Office and the Ministry of Health reported five dead and more than 40 injured. Later, the report was updated to six dead and 50 injured, and the presence of a second truck with explosives that failed to detonate was acknowledged. The Colombian Aerospace Force classified the incident as a terrorist attack, and authorities activated security protocols.
Faced with the chaotic situation, there were moments of panic, with images showing wounded civilians and damaged commercial premises in a highly trafficked area. Mayor Alejandro Eder announced the militarization of the city, restrictions on the transit of heavy trucks, and the offer of a reward of up to 400 million pesos for information leading to those responsible for the attack.
