Bus was hit by explosive on the Panamericana highway in Cauca, southwest of the country; government attributes attack to FARC dissidents
A bomb attack killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20 this Saturday (April 25, 2026) on the Pan-American highway in Cajíbio, a municipality in the department (equivalent to the Brazilian “states”) of Cauca, 600 km from Bogotá, Colombia.
The governor of Cauca, the attack in a post on his profile on X. Guzmán stated that there is a “terrorist escalation” in the region and made a “urgent appeal for greater presence, real support and firm decisions on the part of the national government”. The governor stated that there were 7 dead. At 6:41 pm (Brasília time), the Colombian newspaper confirmed that the number had risen to 13 victims.
“We immediately convene a security council and make an urgent appeal for greater presence, real support and firm decisions by the national government that guarantee the lives and safety of the residents of Cauca“, he wrote.
The explosive device was of the type “pipette“, a homemade cylinder with explosives, according to the The Time. The explosive was detonated on the road and hit several vehicles. Images on social media show holes in the road and destroyed vehicles.
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📷 A bomb killed at least 7 people and injured more than 20 this Saturday (April 25, 2026) on the Pan-American highway in Cajíbio, a municipality in the department (equivalent to the Brazilian “states”) of Cauca, 600…
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The Minister of Defense, in a publication on his profile on X, stated that the military and police presence was reinforced in the area. Security forces must intensify operations in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca region.
Attacks and elections
Since Friday (April 24), shooting attacks and explosions have been recorded in different cities in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. On the same day, an attack on a military base in Cali left 2 injured. Cali is the 3rd largest city in the country.
Colombian authorities attribute these attacks to dissidents from the extinct FARC guerrilla (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The groups did not adhere to the peace agreement signed in 2016 and maintain violent activities in the country. They are financed through illegal activities such as drug trafficking, mining and extortion.
Armed guerrillas often exert violent pressure on electoral processes. The sequence of attacks takes place just over a month before the presidential election, scheduled for May 31, 2026. Public security is one of the central themes of the dispute.
The senator (Pacto Histórico, left), political heir of the president (Colombia Humana, left), appears as the favorite in the polls. He is known for his participation in peace negotiations with the FARC.
Next appear (Defenders of the Fatherland, right) and (Democratic Center, right). The three candidates reported death threats.
Petro took power in 2022 and attempted to negotiate peace with the main armed organizations. It was unsuccessful and the groups have grown stronger in recent years.
