The explosion took place at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway, the main road in the country's southwest. The affected road connects the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, whose capital, Cali, hosted Friday's swearing-in ceremony for de la Espriella. On Saturday, de la Espriella announced the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to the previous administration's peace talks to eight maximum-security prisons. De la Espriella has rejected the dialogue with armed groups promoted by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro. With no prior political experience, the 48-year-old de la Espriella, a lawyer and businessperson, narrowly defeated Iván Cepeda, a progressive senator and Petro ally, in a June runoff election in a polarised political climate.