Bomb attack in Colombia's Cauca kills at least 14, President Petro blames country's most wanted narco-terrorist

A bomb attack struck southwestern Colombia on Saturday (Apr 22), killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 20. This is the latest spate of violence ahead of next month's presidential election. According to local reports, a bomb fell onto a bus on the El Túnel section of the Pan-American Highway linking Cali and Popayan. Social media posts showed extensive damage to the bus roof and windows, and craters in the roadway, with witnesses claiming the blast was so strong that they were knocked back several meters. Since Friday, several attacks have been reported in Colombia, which authorities blamed on dissidents of the disbanded guerrilla group FARC. The violence raises tensions ahead of the May 31 presidential election.

What were the reactions?

"An explosive device was detonated" on a road, leaving "seven civilians dead and more than 20 seriously injured," Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman posted on X, sharing a video of victims on the ground and destroyed vehicles in the aftermath of the bombing. Guzman condemned the "indiscriminate attack against the civilian population" on social media. He said that public security forces are responding to the attack, urging the Colombian national government to take decisive action to ensure the safety and protect the lives of residents in conflict-affected regions.

Reacting to the incident, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that those who attacked and killed seven civilians in Cajibío, are “terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers.” The leftist leader blamed the bombing on Ivan Mordisco, the South American country's most-wanted criminal, whom he has compared to late cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. He said that the boss of the group carrying our the attacks is Marlon and he is fully identified by police and military intelligence. “The fronts of alias Iván Mordisco in Cauca are criminal delinquents against humanity and must be treated as such. I want our very best soldiers to confront them. I want the maximum worldwide pursuit against this narco-terrorist group,” he added in a post on X.

Former Senator and a possible candidate for the 2026 presidential election, Gustavo Bolivar called the incident a “crime against humanity.” In a post on X, he wrote, “What’s happening in Cajibío, Cauca is insane. All the dead are civilians. This country will never defeat terrorism if there isn’t a sincere union and a determined action from all of society and all political expressions together, regardless of ideology.”

The Colombia Defensoría del Pueblo (Ombudsman's Office of Colombia) that is an independent constitutional body dedicated to protecting, promoting, and defending human rights within the country issued a statement and said that there have also been reports of threats regarding the possible placement of new explosive devices on the Pan-American Highway, in areas such as Mandivá, in Santander de Quilichao, and Pescador, in Caldono. It also said that an attack was carried out against the military base located in Guachené, using a vehicle equipped with cylinder-type explosive devices. It called upon the authorities to activate immediate protection measures for civilians in affected road corridors, particularly along the Pan-American Highway, while ensuring safe conditions for treating the injured and verifying facts on the ground. It said that repeated incidents in the same areas point to clear failures in prevention and response, underscoring the urgency for decisive action.