A bomb attack on a highway in southwestern Colombia killed 14 people and injured at least 38 — including five children — officials said. The explosion occurred Saturday on the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio in Cauca province, when local reports say an explosive cylinder fell onto a minibus and detonated.
Governor Octavio Guzman called the incident a “tragedy” and warned of a “terrorist escalation.” Images shared by Guzman on X showed extensive damage to multiple vehicles, some overturned by the blast, and a large crater in the roadway.
President Gustavo Petro blamed Ivan Mordisco, a wanted drug lord and former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who rejected the 2016 peace agreement, calling those responsible “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers.” Mordisco is a dissident operating in the region.
The attack is the latest in a wave of explosions targeting public infrastructure in southwest Colombia. Hugo López, Commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, said at least 26 incidents occurred over the past two days in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments, affecting civilians. The spate of violence prompted the deployment of senior officials, including Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez, to the region; Sanchez had been leading a delegation in Cali after two attacks were reported on Friday.
The incidents come a month before presidential elections scheduled for May 31, where security is a central campaign issue. Opposition candidate Paloma Valencia, from Cauca and the right-wing Democratic Center party, criticized President Petro’s government, saying it cannot keep “minimizing the violence or dismantling the state,” and demanded immediate action, full support for the Armed Forces and police, and concrete results.
Edited by: Sean Sinico