An explosive device killed 13 people traveling on a bus in southwestern Colombia on Saturday and injured at least 38, in an attack the country’s army chief called a “terrorist act” amid rising violence tied to drug trafficking. The device detonated while the bus was on the Panamerican Highway in the municipality of Cajibio, Cauca governor Octavio Guzmán said on X.
Cauca Health Secretary Carolina Camargo told Noticias Caracol that five children were among the injured. Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, blamed a network linked to a man known as “Iván Mordisco” and the Jaime Martínez faction — dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that did not abide by the 2016 peace agreement.
President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack on X, calling those responsible “terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers,” in a post that referenced civilians — including Indigenous people — killed and wounded in Cajibio. Officials said the explosion is the latest in a wave of blasts and attacks aimed at public infrastructure: at least 26 incidents occurred over two days in southwestern Colombia, and authorities said civilians were affected.
Other incidents included a shooting at a police station in rural Jamundí and an attack on a civil aviation radar facility in El Tambo, where authorities intercepted three explosives-laden drones. No injuries were reported in those incidents. On Friday, two vehicles rigged with explosives were detonated near military units in Cali and Palmira, causing material damage.
The surge in violence — in territory contested by illegal armed groups linked to drug trafficking — prompted the mobilization of high-ranking officials. Led by Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez, regional governors and local authorities were meeting in Palmira when the Cajibio explosion occurred. “These criminals seek to instill fear, but we will respond with firmness,” Sánchez said on X. Valle del Cauca governor Francisca Toro called for immediate national support, reinforcement of security forces, enhanced intelligence operations and decisive action against crime amid what she described as a “terrorist-level escalation.”
Authorities noted that Cauca and Valle del Cauca are key hubs for illegal armed groups vying for control over sea and river routes to the port of Buenaventura, a major transit point for drug shipments to Central America and Europe. The government has offered a reward of more than $1 million for information leading to the capture of “Marlon,” identified as a leader of the region’s dissident group. Local officials offered more than USD 14,000 for information to identify those responsible for the attacks in Cali and Palmira.
