Full Breakdown
Highway Bombing Shocks Southwest Colombia
4/28/2026, 2:11:03 AM
Attack on the Pan-American Highway
On 25 April 2026, an explosive device detonated on a bus traveling the Pan-American Highway in the El Túnel sector of Cajibío, Cauca. The blast formed a crater of about 200 cubic metres, destroying several buses, trucks and cars. Initial reports listed at least 14 deaths and 38 injuries, including five children; later accounts cited 19 or 20 fatalities and 36 injured.
Background & Key Actors
The 2016 peace accord ended the main FARC insurgency, but dissident factions that rejected the deal have kept fighting, funded by drug trafficking and illegal mining. The bombing is blamed on the Central General Staff (EMC) led by Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias “Iván Mordisco,” and the Jaime Martínez faction. The defence ministry also named “Marlon” (Jacobo Arredondo) as a regional commander under investigation.
Casualties and Damage
Deaths are reported between 14 and 20; injuries between 36 and 38, with five children among the wounded. The blast left a 200-cubic-metre crater, destroyed multiple civilian vehicles and forced a partial closure of the Pan-American corridor.
Political Impact and Opposition
The bombing came a month before the 31 May presidential election. Left-leaning Senator Iván Cepeda, President Petro’s “Total Peace” ally, leads the polls; right-wing candidates Paloma Valencia and Abelardo de la Espriella demand a hard-line security response, with Valencia calling the peace initiative a failure.
Official Government Responses
President Petro denounced the perpetrators as terrorists and drug traffickers, urging a worldwide pursuit. Defence Minister Sánchez pledged a firm response and offered a reward exceeding US$1 million for information on “Marlon.” Governor Guzmán called for a decisive, sustained security council; Governor Toro requested immediate police and intelligence reinforcement.
On-the-Ground Accounts
Red Cross teams treated victims at the crater. Coffee grower Francisco Javier Betancourt called the blast “a nightmare where the road home has become a battlefield.” Injured children were reported safe.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Casualty numbers differ: some sources list 14 deaths, others 19 or 20, and injuries from 36 to 38. Attribution also varies, with some reports naming only Iván Mordisco and the Jaime Martínez faction, while others cite “Marlon” as a separate suspect. No forensic evidence has been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are facing a terrorist escalation that demands immediate responses,” — Octavio Guzmán, Governor of Cauca
- “These criminals seek to instill fear, but we will respond with firmness,” — Pedro Sánchez, Defence Minister
- “Those who carried out this attack … are terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers,” — Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia
- “It is a terrorist attack against the civilian population,” — Hugo López, Commander of the Armed Forces
What’s Next
A national security council has been convened, troop deployments in Cauca and Valle del Cauca increased, and a US$1 million reward for information on “Marlon” remains open. Authorities aim to secure the Pan-American corridor before the 31 May election, a contest likely shaped by the security climate.
