Tiziano Breda on Colombia’s wave of violent attacks ahead of upcoming elections

A devastating wave of coordinated attacks across Colombia's southwestern departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca on April 24-25 has shattered the country’s fragile security landscape at a critical political moment. 

The attacks included the detonation of a bomb on the Pan-American Highway in Cajibío, killing at least 20 civilians and wounding 50, several of which were children. Vehicle-borne explosives struck military installations in Cali and Palmira. In El Tambo, drones loaded with explosives targeted a Civil Aviation radar facility. A police station in Jamundi came under simultaneous rifle and explosive fire. In total, authorities tallied 26 terrorist actions across both departments in just 48 hours. 

Tiziano Breda, Latin America & the Caribbean Senior Analyst at ACLED, said:  

“These attacks were significant both due to their scale as well as their deliberate targeting of civilian and military infrastructure. They highlight the shortcomings of President Gustavo Petro’s security strategy, which has not been able to dent FARC dissidents’ power in south-western Colombia, nor to prevent an event of such magnitude. 

The attacks also serve as important political messages. First, they should be understood as retribution by FARC dissidents led by “Iván Mordisco” to the recent agreements signed between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments aimed at stemming drug trafficking across their shared border. Second, the violence was intended to destabilize the country ahead of the presidential elections, which are barely a month away. 

The events of this weekend raise questions about the Colombian state’s ability to guarantee the security needed for a credible electoral process. They are also likely to prompt criticism about the Petro’s administration total peace strategy, which critics will now argue has emboldened, rather than contained, dissident actors.”