Explosive Device Kills 13 on Bus in Colombia in Suspected Terrorist Attack

Apr 26, 2026

An explosive device detonated on a bus traveling on the Pan-American Highway in Cajibio, Cauca province, Colombia on Saturday, killing at least seven people and wounding twenty others. The attack occurred while Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez was convening a security council in nearby Cali to address regional security concerns. Colombian President Gustavo Petro blamed FARC dissident leader Ivan Mordisco for the bombing, part of a series of attacks attributed to criminal groups formed by former FARC rebels who rejected the 2016 peace agreement. Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman condemned the explosion as an indiscriminate attack on civilians and demanded sustained government action against what he characterized as escalating terrorism in the region.

Deadly explosion on Pan-American Highway in Cauca

▪At least seven people were killed in a suspected explosive attack in Cauca province, Colombia on Saturday.
▪An explosive was detonated on the Pan-American Highway in the El Tunel sector of Cajibio, Cauca on Saturday.

Regional authorities' response and demands for government action

▪Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman demanded a decisive, sustained response from the Colombian government against terrorist escalation.
▪Colombian Minister of Defence Pedro Sanchez convened a security council in Cali on Saturday to assess the regional security situation.
▪Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman condemned the Saturday explosion as an indiscriminate attack against the civilian population.
▪Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman stated that other attacks had been carried out in El Tambo, Caloto, Popayan, Guachene, Mercaderes, and Miranda.

Attribution to FARC dissident groups and narco-terrorism

▪FARC dissident groups split from the FARC rebel group following a landmark peace agreement with the Colombian government in 2016.
▪Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that powerful criminal groups are seeking to control the population through fear.
▪Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for maximum worldwide pursuit against the narco-terrorist group responsible for the Saturday explosion.
▪Colombian President Gustavo Petro appeared to blame a drug trafficker and FARC dissident leader known by the alias Ivan Mordisco for the Saturday explosion.

Perspective of Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman

▪Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman characterized the Saturday explosion as targeting civilians indiscriminately rather than military or government targets.
▪Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman views the Saturday explosion as part of a broader pattern of terrorist escalation requiring urgent government intervention.

Perspective of Colombian President Gustavo Petro

▪Colombian President Gustavo Petro views the Saturday explosion as requiring international collaboration to pursue the responsible narco-terrorist organization.
▪Colombian President Gustavo Petro characterizes the Saturday explosion as a tactic by criminal groups to dominate communities through terror.