Edited by: Sean Sinico
A bomb attack on a highway in southwestern Colombia has left 19 people dead, with the authorities blaming a drug lord who was once part of the FARC guerilla group for the attack.
At least 38 people — including five children — were injured in the attack on Saturday, which comes a month before the country’s presidential election.
What do we know?
The explosion took place on the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio in the Cauca province.
According to local media reports, an explosive cylinder fell onto a minibus and detonated.
Governor Octavio Guzman described the incident as a “tragedy” and warned of a “terrorist escalation.”
Visuals shared by Guzman on X showed extensive damage to a number of vehicles.
Some cars had been overturned because of the force of the blast.
Another image showed a large crater etched into the highway, following the attack.
Who is behind the attack
President Gustavo Petro blamed the attack on Ivan Mordisco — one of Colombia’s most wanted criminals — whom the leftist leader has compared to the late drug lord Pablo Escobar.
He called those responsible “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers.”
Mordisco is a dissident of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), operating in the region. He opted out of the peace agreement that FARC signed with the state in 2016.
Southwest Colombia sees surge in attacks ahead of elections
Saturday’s attack is the latest in a string of explosions targeting public infrastructure.
At least 26 incidents have taken place over the last two days in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments and have only affected civilians, according to the Commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, Hugo López.
The incidents prompted a dispatch of high-ranking officials, including Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez, to the region.
Sanchez was leading a delegation in Cali to assess the situation in Valle del Cauca after two attacks were reported on Friday, when Saturday’s explosion took place.
The spate of attacks comes ahead of presidential elections slated for May 31. Security is one of the central issues of the poll campaign.
Presidential candidate Paloma Valencia, who belongs to the opposition right-wing Democratic Center party and is from Cauca, has called for immediate action against the violence.
“President Gustavo Petro’s government cannot continue minimizing the violence or dismantling the state,” she said.
“We demand immediate action, full backing for our Armed Forces and police, and concrete results.”
Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.