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A bomb attack on a highway in southwestern Colombia has left at least 19 people dead and dozens injured, according to multiple reports, in one of the deadliest attacks against civilians in recent years. The blast occurred on the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio, Cauca province, on Saturday, and authorities have blamed dissidents of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla group.

Coverage Comparison

Initial reports varied on the death toll, with some outlets reporting 14 dead and 38 injured in the immediate aftermath, while others cited 19 or 20 dead. The governor of Cauca, Octavio Guzman, confirmed in a later update that 20 people had been killed — 15 women and five men — and 36 injured. Some media reports, citing local sources, suggested the toll could be as high as 21.

Al Jazeera, BBC, Deutsche Welle, France 24, and The Guardian all covered the attack, with most focusing on the rising death toll and the political context ahead of the May 31 presidential election. The attack took place on the Pan-American Highway near a tunnel, and visuals shared by Governor Guzman on X showed overturned vehicles and a large crater in the roadway.

According to Deutsche Welle and other sources, an explosive cylinder fell onto a minibus and detonated, though the military chief Hugo Lopez told a news conference that assailants had blocked the road with a bus and another vehicle before the bomb exploded.

Key Claims

  • At least 19 people were killed and 38 injured in the attack, though the death toll later rose to 20 per Governor Guzman, and some reports suggested 21.
  • The explosion took place on the Pan-American Highway in Cajibio, Cauca province.
  • President Gustavo Petro blamed the attack on Iván Mordisco, a dissident FARC leader whom he has compared to Pablo Escobar. Petro called those responsible "terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers."
  • Governor Guzman described the attack as the "most brutal and ruthless attack against the civilian population in decades" and warned of a "terrorist escalation."
  • Military chief Hugo Lopez reported 26 attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments over the past two days, and said the attack was a "terrorist attack against the civilian population."
  • Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez offered a record reward of 5 billion pesos ($1.4 million) for information leading to the capture of a rebel leader known as "Marlon," whom he accused of ordering the attack.
  • Presidential elections are scheduled for May 31, and security is a central issue in the campaign.

Perspectives

The attack has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, coming just over a month before Colombians vote for a successor to President Petro. Petro, who is barred from seeking re-election, has thrown his support behind leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, while conservative frontrunner Miguel Uribe Turbay has made security a key plank of his campaign.

Local residents expressed fear and grief. "I'm scared," coffee grower Francisco Javier Betancourt told AFPTV. "We're in a country that's finished. Where else does something like this happen?" Hundreds of mourners held a vigil for the victims, many of whom were from the village near Cajibio.

The attack has also raised questions about the government's ability to contain violence from armed groups that have filled the vacuum left by the FARC's demobilization. Mordisco, who rejected the 2016 peace deal, leads a dissident faction involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion. The defense minister has accused "Marlon" of ordering the attack, but provided no evidence or details.

As the nation mourns, the attack has underscored the deep security challenges facing Colombia, and the fragile peace that has been repeatedly strained by violence in rural regions. The government has dispatched high-ranking officials, including Defense Minister Sanchez, to the region, and has pledged to bolster military and police presence.