attack in Columbia

By Philipp Znidar

Rio de Janeiro (dpa) — At least 19 civilians have been killed in a bomb attack in southwestern Colombia about a month before the presidential election, authorities said on Sunday.

“This vile and unjustifiable act has plunged families into deep mourning,” Governor Octavio Guzmán of the Cauca province, where Cajibio, the site of Saturday’s attack, is located.

Local media reported that an explosive cylinder was detonated on a busy road. Images shared by the governor on X showed extensive damage to a minibus and several other vehicles. More than 48 people were seriously injured, Guzmán wrote, including five minors.

The governor described the incident as a “tragedy.” He warned of a “terrorist escalation” and called for decisive action by the government.

Three days of official mourning were ordered in Cauca. Several specialist teams were working to identify the victims, the National Institute of Legal Medicine said.

attack in Columbia

El Tiempo newspaper reported, citing eyewitnesses, that armed men had previously stopped and blocked vehicles on the road.

A survivor, describing the explosion to broadcaster Noticias Caracol, said the blast wave threw him several meters. Another affected person told El Tiempo: “I felt like time stood still, but everything was over in an instant.” He said his vehicle was lifted by the force of the blast.

Government blames FARC dissidents

President Gustavo Petro called the perpetrators “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers” and blamed dissidents of the former FARC guerrilla group that rejected the 2016 peace deal.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez also attributed the attack to such groups. “We will not back down: we will step up operations until we have neutralized them,” he wrote on X.

A reward was also announced for leading suspected perpetrators.

attack in Columbia

Colombia suffered for decades from a civil war between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the military. Despite a 2016 peace deal with the FARC, parts of the country are still controlled by armed groups that did not recognize it. They finance themselves mainly through drug trafficking and other illegal business.

Tense security situation with multiple attacks

The attack comes amid a tense security situation in Colombia a few weeks before the presidential election on May 31. On Friday there was already a series of coordinated attacks in the west of the country.

According to consistent reports, a vehicle exploded near a military base in the tourist city of Cali, while there were further detonations near a military facility in the neighbouring city of Palmira. No deaths were reported.Authorities also attributed those attacks to the same networks. The security situation is one of the central issues in the election campaign.