A bomb detonated on the Pan‑American Highway in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, killing 14 people and injuring at least 38 — among them five children, officials said. Local reports say an explosive cylinder fell onto a minibus and then detonated in the municipality of Cajibio in Cauca province.
Governor Octavio Guzman described the incident as a “tragedy” and warned of a “terrorist escalation.” He shared images on X showing extensive damage to multiple vehicles, some overturned, and a large crater in the road.
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 identified as a dissident operating in the region.
The blast is the latest in a string of attacks targeting public infrastructure in southwest Colombia. Hugo López, Commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, said there were at least 26 incidents over the past two days in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments that affected civilians.
The surge in violence prompted the deployment of senior officials to the area, including Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez. Sanchez had been leading a delegation in Cali after two attacks were reported on Friday.
The incidents come about a month before presidential elections scheduled for May 31, where security has become a central campaign issue. Opposition candidate Paloma Valencia, a Cauca native from the right‑wing Democratic Center party, criticized President Petro’s administration, 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