Overview
- The highway blast, which tore through traffic on Saturday in Cauca’s Cajibío, has an official toll of 21 dead and 56 injured, the government said Monday.
- Military leaders said dissident FARC fighters linked to Iván Mordisco carried out the attack after blocking the Pan‑American Highway with a bus and another vehicle before detonating an explosive.
- Security forces reinforced Cauca and Valle del Cauca, convened emergency councils, opened forensic identification of victims, and announced rewards, including for a commander known as Marlon, as Petro urged a worldwide pursuit of the network.
- Authorities reported a broader campaign that included car bombs, gun attacks and intercepted explosives‑laden drones, with at least 31 incidents recorded over the weekend in what they describe as a coordinated push by the groups.
- Officials call it the deadliest attack on civilians since 2003, a spike that is elevating security as a defining issue ahead of Colombia’s May 31 presidential election.