Coordinated flurry of bombings and gun attacks rock Colombia
Colombia was rocked by a string of 24 coordinated bomb and gun attacks that killed at least seven people across the country's southwest Tuesday, deepening a security crisis roiling the Andean nation.
Attackers struck targets in Cali -- the country's third-largest city -- and several nearby towns, hitting police posts, municipal buildings and civilian targets.
National Police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said assailants -- suspected to be a local guerrilla group -- had attacked using car bombs, motorcycle bombs, rifle fire and a suspected drone.
"There are two police officers dead, and a number of members of the public are also dead," he said. Police later put the toll at seven dead and 28 more injured.
In Cali and the towns of Villa Rica, Guachinte and Corinto, AFP journalists witnessed the tangled wreckage of vehicle bombs surrounded by scorched debris and damaged buildings.
The attacks came days after a brazen attempted assassination of a presidential candidate in Bogota that has put the country on edge.
Many Colombians are now fearful of a return to the violence of the 1980s and 1990s, when cartel attacks, guerrilla violence and political assassinations were commonplace.
In the town of Corinto, resident Luz Amparo was at home when the blast gutted her bakery Tuesday.
Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot in head at Bogota rallyColombia reinstates arrest warrants for guerrilla leaders behind deadly violence
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Vancouver, British Columbia — Amicus International Consulting, a leader in legal identity transformation and international privacy solutions, has released a new investigative report titled 'How Anonymous Lives Thrive in Remote Regions.' This publication examines how individuals seeking to evade detection or maintain their privacy are increasingly turning to remote areas, such as mountains, jungles, and unmonitored zones in parts of South America and Southeast Asia, as havens for anonymous living. In an era where biometric surveillance, digital identifiers, and global information-sharing agreements are tightening the net around even the most subtle fugitives, some individuals are opting to return to the oldest method of evasion: geographic isolation. This strategy, which dates back to the Cold War and beyond, has found new life in regions where surveillance infrastructure is sparse, government oversight is limited, and cash economies still prevail. The Return to the Mountains: Geography as the Oldest Shield Long before digital footprints and satellite tracking became dominant, individuals fleeing persecution or criminal pursuit often sought out isolated terrain—deserts, forests, and particularly, mountain ranges. These natural environments offer a fundamental strategic advantage: physical inaccessibility. In modern times, mountain hideouts are not just a trope of rebel insurgencies and exiled monarchs. They remain a practical, if extreme, form of anonymity. The Andes in South America, the highlands of Southeast Asia, and the lesser-known ranges of Central America continue to host individuals living off the grid—some legally, some questionably. Case Study 1: The Andes Sanctuary In 2014, a political dissident from North Africa fled his home country following a coup that resulted in mass arrests. Rather than seeking asylum through traditional international channels, he travelled via forged documents to Ecuador and made his way to a remote Andean village. There, he lived for over eight years under a new name—legally adopted through Ecuador's document regularization process. With no internet access, no banking footprint, and barter-based transactions, he became a local handyman and translator. Authorities never questioned his identity, and he eventually gained residency through a rural development program. Lesson: Mountain villages often lack centralized identity databases and rely on local trust networks. This creates natural gaps in national surveillance and enforcement systems. Southeast Asia's Hidden Pockets: Between Law and Tradition While Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia have made strides in biometric adoption and digital banking, large swaths of their rural interiors remain disconnected from national databases. In Laos, northern Myanmar, and parts of the Thai highlands, entire communities function outside national registration systems. Many fugitives and privacy seekers exploit these gaps, living among local ethnic groups, hiring local attorneys to navigate land rights, and avoiding international scrutiny by integrating into traditional cultures that do not rely on Western-style bureaucratic identification. Case Study 2: The 'Ghost of Chiang Rai' A Canadian man accused of tax evasion in 2015 disappeared just before charges were filed. Months later, he was spotted by a backpacker in a remote village near Chiang Rai, Thailand, where he reportedly lived in a bamboo hut, assisted locals with English translations, and paid for goods with Thai baht earned through informal tutoring. According to an Amicus field researcher who later visited the region, the man had altered his appearance. He received unofficial protection from the local community, which was unaware of his fugitive status. He lived undisturbed for six years, during which time the statute of limitations on his charges expired. Lesson: Time, geography, and local integration can render legal pursuits ineffective—especially when the local economy functions without digital identifiers. South America: The Perfect Storm of Privacy Countries like Paraguay, Bolivia, and parts of Peru remain among the most popular destinations for those seeking lawful but low-key lifestyles. This is due to a combination of: Cash-based economies Incomplete biometric infrastructure Weak international extradition cooperation Rural land access without national ID requirements Historical tolerance for stateless or displaced persons Case Study 3: The Dual Identity in Bolivia A dual national from Eastern Europe fled after being implicated in a major cryptocurrency fraud. Using his second passport (issued in a small Balkan country), he entered Bolivia in 2021. Once there, he travelled deep into the Yungas region and lived under a slightly altered version of his name. Although Interpol issued a Red Notice, the Bolivian authorities did not take action. In 2023, he began cultivating coca under the identity of a deceased local, which he obtained with the help of a rural registrar known to issue 'supplemental documents' for a price. His identity change was never detected. Lesson: Corruption at the rural administrative level remains a severe weakness in identity verification in several South American jurisdictions. Expert Commentary: The Myth of Universal Surveillance 'Despite what we hear about AI, drones, and satellites, the truth is global surveillance still has very human blind spots,' says a digital forensics expert interviewed by Amicus. 'When fugitives understand which countries lack full enforcement integration with Interpol or do not enforce biometric checkpoints, they can evade detection for decades.' The expert also noted that terrain plays a psychological role: 'Investigators are often reluctant to pursue leads that require travelling off-road for hours or negotiating with tribal authorities.' The Tools of Remote Anonymity: What Works Amicus International Consulting identifies several key tools used by individuals living anonymously in remote regions: Legal Name Changes in Loophole Jurisdictions: Especially when supported by ancestral citizenship or relaxed documentation standards. Remote Land Acquisition: Through informal sales, squatting in unmonitored zones, or legal rural development programs. Barter and Cash Economy: Avoiding banks and financial systems that report to FATCA, CRS, or local tax bureaus. Community Integration: Using skills like translation, farming, teaching, or medicine to become 'useful' in isolated communities. Technological Abstinence: No phones, no internet, and no smart devices—just radios, handwritten letters, and local gossip. The Role of Isolation From Social Media Unlike cities, remote regions offer a social environment where being 'offline' is not perceived as suspicious. There's no expectation to post updates, share check-ins, or appear in facially tagged photos. This provides a natural camouflage for those who intentionally disconnect. Case Study 4: No Signal, No Risk An American environmental activist, fleeing an unjust surveillance order, resettled in Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2020. He lived near the Gunung Leuser National Park among indigenous people who accepted him after he offered medical assistance during a flood. He never carried a phone, avoided all internet use, and never wired money. His only outside connection was a legal contact in Singapore who mailed books and medicine under a pseudonym. After five years, no agency had traced him—not even through open-source intelligence. Lesson: Technological silence, when normalized by geographic conditions, can defeat even the most advanced digital tracking. Legal Anonymity: Amicus's Role in Lawful Relocation Amicus International Consulting does not assist fugitives escaping justice for violent or financial crimes. However, it provides services to individuals seeking lawful anonymity due to: Political persecution Domestic violence Threats from organized crime Journalistic reprisal Whistleblower status Amicus services include: Legal name changes Second citizenship acquisition Rural relocation planning Identity compartmentalization strategies Anonymous digital migration Case Study 5: From Domestic Violence Victim to Respected Herbalist A woman from Eastern Europe who faced serious domestic violence relocated legally to Peru through a residency program. After changing her name and acquiring property in a remote village near Cusco, she began cultivating medicinal plants and teaching traditional healing techniques. She received no visitors, had no online presence, and refused all international banking services. Locals protected her identity, and over time, she became integrated into the local spiritual community. She now teaches rural workshops under her new name. Lesson: Lawfully starting over in a remote region can lead to complete reintegration into society—under safe, legal, and fully autonomous terms. Why Remote Regions Still Work in 2025 Despite rising government collaboration, technological surveillance, and the digitization of civil records, remote regions often struggle to maintain anonymity because they lack one crucial ingredient: an adequate enforcement infrastructure. Rural officials often do not have: Real-time access to international watchlists Facial recognition software Encrypted international communication lines Biometric scanning devices Moreover, many have no incentive to investigate residents who contribute to the community and do not create problems. Amicus's Ethical Warning 'We do not help people escape justice,' said an Amicus relocation consultant. 'But we do help people build safe, lawful new lives in regions where they won't be hunted for things like political speech, LGBTQ+ identity, or being a whistleblower.' The consultant stressed the importance of operating within the law: 'A clean start does not require deception. It requires strategy.' Conclusion: The Geography of Freedom The final takeaway from Amicus International Consulting's latest investigative report is clear: anonymity still thrives—just not in the places most people expect. Mountain hideouts, cash-based villages, and off-grid communities in South America and Southeast Asia remain the last frontiers for legal privacy and lawful escape from persecution. And for those who understand the rules, speak the language of local laws, and treat privacy not as a secret—but as a right—freedom remains possible, even in the most watched age in human history. 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