[REVISION HISTORY]

Explosive attacks on Colombian toll plazas and police

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2026-11-04 21:46 UTC → 2026-11-05 03:22 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A series of explosive attacks have targeted infrastructure in Colombia. On October 23, 2026, a car bomb containing over 120 kilograms of high-impact explosives and shrapnel detonated at the San Pedro toll plaza in Casanare. The blast injured four female employees of the road concessionaire, Covioriente, though their conditions were reported as favorable. Casanare Governor César Ortiz Zorro attributed the attack to the ELN, specifically the José David Suárez structure, suggesting it was retaliation for military operations. On November 4, 2026, violence escalated in southwestern Colombia. In the municipality of Patía, Cauca, a truck loaded with explosives detonated near a police substation in the El Estrecho corregimiento. The blast, which may have involved a stolen vehicle or a platform for improvised explosive devices known as “tatucos,” killed at least one 20-year-old ~~barber~~ barber, Felipe Joaquín Rivera, and injured several others, including elderly women. The explosion caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, and a public bus, forcing the closure of the Pan-American Highway. Additionally, the blast damaged electrical circuits, causing a power outage for more than 6,200 users in southern Cauca. During the early morning hours of the same day, a separate attack occurred at the Media Canoa toll booth in the Yotoco municipality of Valle del Cauca. Two individuals on a red motorcycle reportedly threw an explosive device at the facility along the Cali–Media Canoa highway. While the blast caused material damage to the roofs of two toll lanes, no injuries were reported from this specific incident. While no group has officially claimed responsibility for the November 4 attacks, authorities noted the presence of FARC dissidents, the ELN, and the Clan del Golfo in the region. President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the events as terrorist attacks and ordered a security deployment.

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