As The Colombian Presidential elections draw close, Colombia has seen a further escalation of violence, particularly in one of the most conflictive departments in Colombia. Between 24 and 27 April 2026, the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca saw a sharp escalation in violence, with multiple attacks leaving 20 civilians dead and more than 45 people injured. The deadliest attack occurred on the Pan-American Highway, when a bomb exploded near Cajibío, in Cauca. Similar incidents in the department of Nariño left five people dead. 

The attacks have been attributed to the FARC dissident group Estado Mayor Central (EMC), under the leadership of Iván Mordisco. Multiple reports indicate the use of explosives and cylinder bombs across southern Colombia. 

According to the Colombian Ombudsman’s Office, these events represent a serious escalation in violence and attacks on the civilian population in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).. The Ombudsman’s Office documented road markings and other acts of intimidation that restrict mobility and increase control over communities and territory. It also called on local and national authorities to take immediate measures to protect vital transport routes and ensure the safety of the civilian population. 

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a public statement describing these attacks as grave violations of international humanitarian law. It urged national and local authorities to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and prevent further attacks. 

The wave of attacks began on 24 April 2026, when an explosive device detonated outside an army facility in the third largest city in Colombia, Cali, in the department of Valle del Cauca. Hours later, a vehicle carrying explosives detonated near another military base in Pichincha, Cali, injuring several people. In Palmira, another explosion caused damage to infrastructure near a military battalion. In Popayan, a town in the south of Cauca, a drone armed with explosives was detected and neutralised. Drones are becoming an increasingly used weapon in the Colombian conflict.  

On 5 May 2026, Indigenous leaders from the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) declared a humanitarian emergency in the department and announced immediate collective protection measures. These include the reactivation of Indigenous Guard checkpoints in strategic areas of their territories to alert communities to potential threats, in an effort to safeguard people and their territory amid increased violence by illegal armed groups. CRIC also linked these attacks and the deterioration in security to the electoral and political context ahead of the presidential elections on 31 May. 

ABColombia expresses its solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives and with all those injured in these attacks. We call on the Colombian government to: 

• To the Ministry of Interior and the Unidad Nacional de Protección to take all necessary measures to effectively protect the civilian population, including Indigenous, Afro-descendant and peasant communities caught amid disputes between armed groups, according to their wishes and in particular, to efficiently and rapidly approve the requests by communities for collective security measures. 

• To the Attorney General’s Office, to investigate these acts of violence promptly, impartially and thoroughly, ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice.