Trending Now - Colombia Bus Bombing Leaves 20 Dead Amid Surge in Violence
WHO:
AP News - Octavio Guzmán, governor of the region of Cauca
AP News - Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces
AP News - U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
AP News - Iván Mordisco, one of Colombia’s most wanted figures, and the Jaime Martínez faction
WHAT:
AP News - The death toll in the bombing rose to 21 people on Monday.
AP News - The Colombian defense ministry reported that rebel groups staged 26 attacks with explosives and drones since Friday.
AP News - The group known as the FARC-EMC, led by Nestor Vera (Iván Mordisco), was blamed for the lethal explosion.
AP News - The Colombian government reported that 258,000 hectares (638,000 acres) were planted with coca in late 2025.
Al Jazeera - The bombing injured at least 38 people, with several vehicles flipped over and a large crater created in the roadway.
Al Jazeera - Authorities recorded 26 attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments over the past two days.
Al Jazeera - The attack comes just over one month ahead of national elections, in which voters will pick a successor to President Gustavo Petro.
Al Jazeera - Military chief Hugo Lopez stated that the bomb exploded after assailants stopped traffic by blocking the road with a bus and another vehicle.
Al Jazeera - Leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda is ahead in polls for the presidential election, trailed by right-wing candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, both of whom have pledged to take a hard line against rebel groups.
Al Jazeera - The bombing injured at least 38 people, with several vehicles flipped over and a large crater created in the roadway.
Al Jazeera - The attack followed a bomb explosion at a military base in Cali that injured two people and triggered a series of attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments.
Al Jazeera - Authorities recorded 26 attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments over the past two days.
AP News - More than two dozen incidents have been reported in the past three days in southwestern Colombia.
AP News - Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine is identifying the victims with the help of specialists including dentists, anthropologists, and forensic doctors.
NBC News World - An explosion on a highway in southwest Colombia killed at least 19 and injured dozens.
BBC News - The death toll from the bus bomb attack rose to 20.
AP News - The bombing killed 20 people, including 15 women and five men, and injured 36 others, with three in intensive care.
AP News - Five of the injured are minors who are expected to recover.
AP News - Octavio Guzmán declared three days of mourning in memory of the victims.
WHERE:
AP News - The attack occurred on the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio, southwest Colombia.
AP News - The region is home to illegal armed groups involved in drug trafficking.
WHEN:
AP News - Voters in Colombia will head to the polls on May 31 to choose from 14 different presidential candidates.
Al Jazeera - The national elections are scheduled for May 31, 2026.
AP News - The bombing occurred on a Saturday, with the death toll reported on a Sunday.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - Security is one of the central issues of the May 31 presidential election.
Al Jazeera - Security is a central issue in the upcoming presidential election, highlighted by the assassination of conservative presidential frontrunner Miguel Uribe Turbay during a campaign event last June.
AP News - The bombing is part of a wave of violence related to illegal armed groups vying for control of coca leaf cultivation areas and drug trafficking routes to Central America and Europe.
AP News - The attack is part of a wave of violence related to drug trafficking and political instability ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
HOW:
Al Jazeera - Authorities have boosted military and police presence in the areas, according to Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez.
AP News - Gen. Hugo López described the incident as a “terrorist act” and attributed it to the network of Iván Mordisco and the Jaime Martínez faction, both of which are dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
AP News - An explosive device was detonated on a bus traveling along the highway.
(UPDATED April 28, 2026 07:52 UTC)
The death toll from a recent bombing in Colombia has risen to 21 people, with the defense ministry reporting that rebel groups have staged 26 attacks using explosives and drones since Friday. The group known as FARC-EMC, led by Nestor Vera, has been blamed for the deadly explosion. Voters in Colombia are set to head to the polls on May 31 to choose from 14 different presidential candidates.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 21:21 UTC)
A recent bombing in Colombia has injured at least 38 people, leaving several vehicles flipped over and creating a large crater in the roadway. This attack is part of a troubling trend, with authorities reporting 26 attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments over the past two days, just over a month before the national elections where voters will choose a successor to President Gustavo Petro. In response to the escalating violence, Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an increase in military and police presence in the affected areas, as security remains a central issue for the upcoming presidential election on May 31.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 17:23 UTC)
A recent bombing has injured at least 38 people, flipping several vehicles and leaving a large crater in the roadway, following an earlier explosion at a military base in Cali that injured two and sparked a series of attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments. Authorities have recorded a troubling total of 26 attacks in these regions over the past two days, raising concerns about security as the national elections approach. With the elections set for May 31, 2026, security remains a critical issue, especially in light of the assassination of conservative presidential frontrunner Miguel Uribe Turbay during a campaign event last June.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 13:21 UTC)
In southwestern Colombia, more than two dozen incidents have been reported over the past three days, prompting an investigation by Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine, which is working with specialists like dentists and forensic doctors to identify the victims. This wave of violence is linked to illegal armed groups competing for control over coca leaf cultivation areas and drug trafficking routes to Central America and Europe. General Hugo López has labeled the incidents as a “terrorist act,” attributing them to the networks of Iván Mordisco and the Jaime Martínez faction, both of which are dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 09:38 UTC)
An explosion on the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio, southwest Colombia, has tragically killed 20 people, including 15 women and five men, while injuring 36 others, with three in intensive care. The attack, which involved an explosive device detonated on a bus, is linked to ongoing violence related to drug trafficking and political instability as the country approaches its upcoming presidential election. In response to this devastating incident, Octavio Guzmán, the governor of the Cauca region, has declared three days of mourning for the victims.