Colombia highway bomb attack kills at least 19
dw.com • • general
Key Points:
- A bomb attack on the Pan-American Highway in southwestern Colombia's Cauca province killed at least 19 people and injured 38, including five children, with an explosive cylinder detonating on a minibus.
- Authorities, including President Gustavo Petro, blamed Ivan Mordisco, a dissident ex-FARC drug lord, for the attack, labeling the perpetrators as "terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers."
- The explosion is part of a recent surge in violent attacks targeting public infrastructure in the region, with at least 26 incidents reported in the last two days in Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments.
- High-ranking officials, including Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez, have been dispatched to the area to assess the escalating violence, which has intensified ahead of Colombia's May 31 presidential elections.
- Opposition candidate Paloma Valencia criticized the government for downplaying the violence and called for immediate, decisive action to support the armed forces and police to restore security.
