At least 13 people were killed and 17 others wounded in an explosives attack on the Pan-American Highway in western Colombia on Saturday, according to a police source who spoke to Reuters. The attack occurred in the El Tunel area of Cajibio municipality, approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Popayán, the capital of Cauca province.
Authorities have attributed the violence to dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla group that rejected the 2016 peace agreement with the Colombian government. This attack was among several criminal actions reported in the province on Saturday, according to officials.
What the Right Is Saying
Presidential candidate Paloma Valencia, a member of the opposition Democratic Center party from Cauca, condemned the attack as "terrorism" carried out by FARC dissidents. She criticized the Petro government's handling of security in the region.
Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman, speaking on social media platform X, called for immediate and sustained action from the national government. "We are facing a terrorist escalation that demands immediate responses," he wrote. "We demand forceful, sustained and effective action from the national government in the face of the grave public order crisis we are experiencing."
Valencia added that the administration should not "continue minimizing the violence or dismantling the state" and called for full backing of the armed forces and police with concrete results.
What the Left Is Saying
President Gustavo Petro, whose term is nearing its end, has pursued a "total peace" policy through negotiations and intermittent ceasefires with guerrilla groups, including factions of former FARC fighters who remain active despite the peace accord. His administration has sought diplomatic solutions rather than military confrontation with armed groups.
The president's approach emphasizes dialogue over force, arguing that negotiated settlements address root causes of conflict more effectively than sustained military campaigns. Petro himself served as a member of the M-19 guerrilla organization before entering politics and has long advocated for reconciliation efforts with former insurgents.
What the Numbers Show
The attack resulted in 13 confirmed fatalities and 17 injuries, according to police figures provided to Reuters. The incident took place on a major highway approximately 35 kilometers from Popayán in Cauca province, a region that has experienced persistent violence from various armed groups despite the 2016 peace agreement.
FARC dissidents who rejected the peace deal are estimated to number several thousand fighters across Colombia, according to security analysts. The group operates primarily in rural areas including parts of Cauca department, where territorial disputes with other armed organizations have intensified.
The Bottom Line
The attack highlights ongoing security challenges facing Colombia as the Petro administration approaches its final months in office. The violence in Cauca underscores tensions between the government's diplomatic approach and demands from regional officials for more aggressive counter-insurgency operations. What happens next will likely depend on whether the incoming administration continues or modifies the total peace framework, and how it addresses the splinter groups operating outside the 2016 agreement.