Deadly blast hits Colombia highway
Explosion kills 19, injures dozens and raises security concerns
The death toll from an explosives attack on the Pan‑American Highway in southwestern Colombia has risen to 19, with 38 people injured, including five minors, authorities said. A powerful device detonated on the roadway in the Cajibio municipality, between Popayán and Cali, creating a large crater and destroying dozens of vehicles; video from the scene shows emergency crews and machinery clearing debris as responders search for additional victims.
Survivors described chaotic scenes of screaming and widespread destruction. Emergency teams — firefighters, police and medical personnel — have been working to secure the area, treat the wounded and recover bodies from the wreckage. Dozens of damaged vehicles and scattered debris have complicated rescue and recovery operations.
Defense officials blamed the Estado Mayor Central, a dissident faction of the former FARC that rejected the 2016 peace accord, for the bombing. The attack occurred amid a spike in violence in Cauca and Valle provinces, where authorities reported 26 incidents over two days, including car‑bomb attacks on military sites in Cali and Palmira. Cauca is a strategic area for cocaine production and illegal gold mining, both key funding sources for armed groups.
Government authorities opened an investigation and pledged to bolster security along major transport routes; investigators are examining links to armed groups and criminal networks. Local officials offered condolences to victims’ families and warned that the assault — coming weeks before presidential elections — underscores persistent risks to civilian safety and the challenge of curbing armed factions that continue to operate despite the 2016 peace deal. More details are expected as searches and forensic work continue.
