Overview
- An explosive struck the Pan-American Highway in Cauca on Saturday, killing 21 civilians and injuring 56, in one of the deadliest attacks on noncombatants in years.
- Grief and anger filled Monday’s funerals in Cajibío, where families carried photos of victims, many of them mothers, and called for the right to live in peace.
- President Gustavo Petro called the attackers terrorists and ordered stronger military and police operations in the southwest, as security forces reported 31 guerrilla actions since Friday across three departments.
- Authorities blame the Estado Mayor Central, a dissident FARC faction led by Ivan Mordisco and funded by cocaine trafficking, in what analysts describe as a push to control territory and intimidate civilians.
- The campaign tone hardened as candidates condemned the attack; left-wing frontrunner Iván Cepeda warned of fear tactics, right-wing rivals faulted the government, and candidate Paloma Valencia said officials told her a guerrilla group had put a price on her head.