Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the intensification of military and police operations, the continuation of the bombing of armed groups, and the resumption of aerial fumigation of illicit crops on Monday, November 2. His announcement followed attacks that killed at least five people and wounded several others in three departments.“We will continue bombing legitimate military targets, intensify special operations, and move forward with resuming legal aerial spraying!” he wrote on social media. Attacks in Huila, Cauca, and Tolima between October 31 and November 1 killed five people, including a two-month-old baby, according to local reporting.¡AL NARCOTERRORISMO LO VAMOS A ENFRENTAR CON TODO EL PODER DEL ESTADO!Los cobardes atentados narcoterroristas perpetrados en Planadas, Tolima; Algeciras, Huila; y Balboa, La Sierra y Totoró, Cauca, contra la población civil y nuestra Fuerza Pública, NO QUEDARÁN IMPUNES.En… https://t.co/5mu8jwij4M— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) November 2, 2026De la Espriella said he had ordered an increased presence of the Colombian Military Forces and National Police in the areas in question, along with special security measures to regain territorial control.The announcement followed bombings and armed harassment in Tolima, Huila, and Cauca, as well as reports of an unconfirmed bombing of a paramilitary camp on Venezuelan soil.Orinoco Tribune reported on the alleged bombing in Apure, Venezuela, citing claims by far-right NGO Fundaredes and far-right operator Rocío San Miguel. The report also described De la Espriella’s military offensive as following the approach of former presidents Iván Duque and Álvaro Uribe.“These crimes will not go unpunished!” De la Espriella declared, reaffirming his hard-line security policy. Critics argue that historically far-right militarized strategies have intensified political violence rather than promoted peace in Colombia.Bombing in TolimaOn Monday, at least four people, including a two-month-old baby, were killed in an attack in Planadas, in the department of Tolima, Governor Adriana Magali Matiz reported.“It is with deep sorrow that I report that the attack in Planadas has left a preliminary death toll of four people, including a baby just two months old,” Matiz wrote on social media.The attack occurred in the Aeropuerto neighborhood, near a military base. A dumptruck carrying explosives was detonated, damaging homes, businesses, and health facilities according to preliminary reports from authorities. Local media reported at least 17 people injured.The explosion also disrupted medical services. The municipality evacuated a health center and opened alternative facilities to treat the injured, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection reported. The ministry said the attack damaged medical infrastructure and forced the evacuation of a healthcare institution.“It is unacceptable that violence continues to claim lives and jeopardize the health care of communities,” the ministry stated.Militarization, local and foreignMore than 300 Colombian Army personnel arrived in Cúcuta on Saturday, October 31, to reinforce security in the city and surrounding area. The arrival preceded a security council meeting led by De la Espriella on Monday.The president had ordered the temporary militarization of Cúcuta on October 29 and said the military/police campaign Esparta and the Urban Security Operations Block (BOSUR) would begin there on November 3, according to the Colombian Presidency. Local reporting put the Cúcuta reinforcement at 324 soldiers and around 150 police officers. The border crossing with Venezuela from that area was suspended.Separately, more than 300 US military personnel arrived in Colombia for the Vanguardia del Sur 2026 exercise at the Tolemaida military base in Cundinamarca. Colombia’s Defense Ministry said the training, scheduled to run through November 11, would cover counternarcotics operations, illegal mining, drones, and medical evacuations.Colombia Militarizes Border City With Venezuela After Internal Wave of Violence13 Colombian social and human-rights organizations called for public scrutiny of the US military exercise, asking the government to disclose its legal and political terms and warning of implications for national sovereignty. They also called for security policy to include civilian institutions, violence prevention, and attention to community needs. Their joint statement provides their full position. Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/SL