At least 20 people were killed and 36 injured, including five minors, when an explosive device detonated on a bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in Colombia's Cauca region. The victims include 15 women and five men, all adults, with three of those injured remaining hospitalized in intensive care units.
Key Takeaways
At least 20 people were killed and 36 injured when an explosive device detonated on a bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in Colombia's Cauca region. The attack was part of a wave of at least two dozen incidents targeting civilians over a two-day period.
- Death toll includes 15 women and five men, all adults
- Three victims remain hospitalized in intensive care units
- Governor declared three days of mourning starting Sunday
- President Petro named suspects behind the attack and offered a record reward for their capture
The attack occurred Saturday in Cajibio municipality as part of a wave of at least two dozen incidents targeting civilians over a two-day period. According to Governor Octavio Guzmán, the blast left a crater measuring 200 cubic meters on the vital highway that runs through Central and South America. The Colombian Institute of Legal Medicine is working to identify victims.
President Gustavo Petro has specifically named Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias 'Iván Mordisco,' and Jacobo Arredondo, alias 'Marlon,' as suspects behind the attack. In response, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez offered a record 5bn peso ($1.4m) reward for information leading to Marlon's capture, describing him as Colombia's most wanted man.
Governor Guzmán declared three days of mourning starting Sunday and called for a 'decisive, sustained' response from the government against what he termed a 'terrorist escalation.' The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attacks and called for investigations to guarantee justice for victims. Meanwhile, Petro has urged a worldwide pursuit of these narco-terrorist groups and financial crackdowns on their transactions.
According to UPI, Arredondo is believed to be a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), part of a dissident group that broke off after FARC signed a peace deal with the Colombian government in 2016. The attack was reportedly ordered by the dissident group Central General Staff EMC, led by Iván Mordisco.
Some media reports put the death toll from the lethal explosion at 21 as of late on Monday. A dozen of the victims were from a village near Cajibio, where hundreds of mourners held a vigil on Monday. The mourners were dressed in white and waved white sheets or balloons as a sign of peace.
The bombing was one of the deadliest attacks in Colombia since the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) blew up a Bogota nightclub in 2003, killing 36 people. The attack comes just over a month before national elections, with security being one of the central issues.
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