Cajibio (Colombia): At least 13 people were killed and 38 others injured, when an explosive device detonated on a bus in southwestern Colombia. The attack took place on the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio, within the volatile Cauca region. Octavio Guzmán, the Governor of Cauca, described the incident as an “indiscriminate attack against the civilian population,” noting that five children were among those wounded.
General Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, termed the explosion a “terrorist act” and attributed the strike to dissident factions of the former FARC rebels. Specifically, authorities blamed the Jaime Martínez faction and the network led by Iván Mordisco, a high-profile figure who did not adhere to the 2016 peace agreement. President Gustavo Petro condemned the perpetrators on social media, labeling them “terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers,” and ordered an intensification of military operations to track the group globally.
The bombing is part of a broader escalation of violence in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca regions, which serve as critical hubs for drug trafficking routes leading to the port of Buenaventura. In the 48 hours leading up to the bus explosion, officials reported at least 26 violent incidents, including drone attacks on a radar facility and car bombings near military units in Cali and Palmira. The Colombian government has since offered a reward of over 1 million dollars for information leading to the capture of “Marlon,” the identified leader of the regional dissident group.
Local health networks in Cauca are currently operating at full capacity to treat the influx of victims, many of whom are members of the local Indigenous community. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was meeting with regional governors when the blast occurred, has vowed a firm response to the “terrorist-level escalation,” as regional leaders call for immediate national reinforcement of security and intelligence operations to reclaim control over the embattled territory.
