Defense Minister Warns of Terror Threat; Police Intercept Explosives-Laden Bus Near Cali

Two days before the inauguration, outgoing Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez warned of a heightened 'terrorism' risk in Cali, telling radio station La FM that authorities were tracking a specific threat against the ceremony and that 'criminals would attempt to disrupt this democratic event with acts of terrorism.' The warning proved prescient: Colombia's National Police located and neutralized a bus loaded with nearly half a ton of explosives a few kilometers from the inauguration venue. Authorities said explosives expert and FARC dissident commander Jaime 'Mad Max' Martínez was believed responsible. The military deployed roughly 11,000 troops and established drone no-fly zones over Cali ahead of the ceremony. Separately, Senator María Fernanda Cabal — long floated as a potential defense minister — confirmed she would not join the incoming cabinet, saying she wanted to keep pursuing a political career toward a 2030 presidential run.