At least nine miners were killed and six others injured in a coal mine explosion in central Colombia on Monday, according to authorities. The incident occurred in a legal mine located in the Sutatausa municipality, about 72 kilometers north of Bogotá. Preliminary findings suggest that gas accumulation inside the mine triggered the blast. Rescuers managed to save six workers alive, while nine fatalities were confirmed by the National Mining Agency.

Cundinamarca Governor Jorge Emilio Rey stated that trapped gas was the likely cause of the explosion. He added that twelve miners had been trapped underground, three of whom managed to escape on their own. Rescue teams reached the site quickly and began operations after checking gas levels inside the mine.

Mining accidents are frequent in Colombia, often linked to poor ventilation and weak safety measures. The region also hosts many illegal mines where safety regulations are not properly enforced, increasing the risk of deadly incidents.

At least 21 people were killed and 56 injured in a powerful bombing on a highway in southwestern Colombia, the government confirmed on Monday, April 27, 2026. The explosion occurred on the main road connecting Cali and Popayán, leaving a large crater and causing severe casualties. Authorities described the attack as one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in recent decades, allegedly carried out by a cocaine-trafficking rebel group.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez called it one of the largest guerrilla attacks in recent times. President Gustavo Petro blamed the armed group led by Iván Mordisco, a dissident faction of the former FARC rebels who rejected the 2016 peace deal and continued violent activities. The bombing underscores the persistence of armed conflict despite past peace efforts.

The attack comes just weeks before Colombia’s presidential election scheduled for May 31. Analysts warned that the surge in guerrilla violence, including at least 31 attacks in the southwest last weekend, could significantly affect the country’s political climate and security outlook.

At least 14 people were killed and more than 38 others injured, including five children, in a bombing on the Pan-American Highway in Colombia’s southwestern Cauca region on Saturday. The explosion occurred near the El Tunel area of Cajibío, spreading panic across the region as multiple blasts and violent incidents were reported. Regional governor Octavio Guzmán confirmed the death toll and condemned the attack as an indiscriminate act of terrorism against civilians.

Colombian Armed Forces Commander General Hugo López described the incident as a terrorist attack, linking it to networks led by Iván Mordisco and the Jaime Martínez group. President Gustavo Petro strongly denounced the attackers, calling them terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers. Videos shared on social media showed destroyed vehicles and debris scattered across the road.

Valle del Cauca Governor Francisca Toro requested urgent federal assistance, including additional security forces and enhanced intelligence surveillance. Authorities noted that the Cauca and Valle del Cauca regions have long been strongholds for illegal armed groups competing for control of drug trafficking routes through the Buenaventura port.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced the suspension of ongoing peace talks with a key rebel faction, marking a major setback in his campaign against drug-linked armed groups. The decision comes as Petro nears the end of his term, with only four months remaining, and after limited progress toward his goal of securing peace agreements with various factions involved in the cocaine trade.

Since 2023, Petro had been negotiating with a dissident faction of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by a commander known as Calarca. The group, called EMDF, had rejected the 2016 peace accord. On the same day, Colombia’s largest drug-trafficking organization, Clan del Golfo, also ruled out the possibility of a peace deal with Petro, further complicating the situation.

Both negotiation tracks were central to Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative, aimed at reducing violence in the world’s largest cocaine-producing nation. However, the Calarca-led faction has reportedly continued attacks on security forces and civilians in border and Amazon regions, undermining the peace process.

At least 66 people have been confirmed dead after a Colombian military aircraft crashed in the Amazon region near the border with Peru. According to information from the Colombian government cited by Reuters, the plane was carrying 125 people, including 11 air force members, 115 army personnel, and two national police officers. Authorities said the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft went down shortly after takeoff, triggering a massive fire.

More than fifty survivors have been rescued and taken to hospitals, though many remain in critical condition. Search operations are continuing to locate those still missing. Officials have not yet determined the exact cause of the crash, but an investigation has already begun.

The incident marks one of the deadliest military aviation accidents in Colombia in recent years, prompting a large-scale emergency response and ongoing recovery efforts in the remote Amazon area.

At least 34 people were killed and several others injured when a Colombian military transport plane crashed in the Puerto Leguízamo area of Putumayo province on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed the incident on social media, stating that the aircraft went down about 1.5 kilometers after takeoff. The crash triggered a fire and explosions from onboard ammunition, worsening the damage.

Putumayo Governor John Gabriel Molina told local media that 21 of the victims have yet to be identified. The Colombian Air Force said the aircraft was a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules model transporting soldiers to another city in the province. Air Force Commander Carlos Fernando Silva reported that two special aircraft with 74 beds were dispatched to evacuate the injured to hospitals in Bogotá and other locations.

Authorities confirmed that the crash was not caused by any armed group attack. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue in the Amazon border region near Peru and Ecuador.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said he survived an assassination attempt while traveling by helicopter with his two daughters. According to Petro, the incident occurred when his aircraft was unable to land at a scheduled location on the Caribbean coast due to security threats. He stated that security forces had received information suggesting unidentified individuals might open fire on the helicopter. The president noted that the landing site had no lights and that the situation forced major changes to his travel plans.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Córdoba, northern Colombia, Petro explained that heavy rain and flooding had already created a humanitarian crisis in the region, but the security threat further disrupted his itinerary. He emphasized that he was trying to stay alive and could not reach the planned destination either the previous night or the following morning.

Reports indicate that Petro’s helicopter flew over open sea for several hours before safely landing at an alternative location with the assistance of the Colombian Navy. His security arrangements and travel routes were subsequently revised.

At least 13 people have died in Colombia following unusually heavy rainfall for this time of year, officials confirmed on Sunday. The National Meteorological Institute (IDEAM) reported that a fast-moving cold air mass from North America struck Colombia’s Caribbean coast, increasing rainfall by about 64 percent above the monthly average. The deadliest incident occurred in the southwestern Nariño province, where a landslide killed seven people after continuous rain caused a mountain stream to overflow and bury several homes under mud.

Video footage released after the disaster showed rescue workers using heavy machinery to clear debris and mud, while search dogs were deployed to locate missing persons. Earlier, on Thursday, the national disaster management agency UNGRD reported six additional deaths across various regions due to extreme weather conditions.

Meteorologists noted that climate change is disrupting Colombia’s traditional dry and rainy season patterns. Although the tropical country does not have sharply defined seasons, recent years have seen increasingly severe rainfall and drought events.

A passenger plane operated by Colombia’s state-owned airline Satena crashed in the country’s northern region on Wednesday, January 28, killing all 15 people on board. The victims included 13 passengers and two crew members. The Beechcraft 1900 twin-propeller aircraft went down in a mountainous area near the Venezuelan border while en route from Cúcuta to Ocaña. The flight, designated NSE 8849, lost contact with air traffic control about 11 minutes before its scheduled landing at 12:05 p.m. local time.

Rescue teams later located the wreckage in a remote mountain zone. Authorities confirmed that among the dead were lawmaker Diogenes Quintero Amaya and congressional candidate Carlos Salcedo. Satena described the incident as a “serious accident” but did not provide details on the cause. Following the loss of contact, search and rescue operations began immediately, supported by Colombia’s armed forces, and a hotline was opened for relatives of the passengers.

The Cúcuta region is known for its rapidly changing weather and partial control by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, factors that may complicate rescue and investigation efforts.

Nine people were killed and eight others injured in an explosion at a cocaine laboratory on Colombia’s Pacific coast, police said on Friday. The incident occurred in the country’s southwestern Nariño department, an area known for cocaine production and home to the indigenous Awa community. Several armed groups are active in the region.

Authorities reported that the victims worked for the National Coordinator Bolivarian Army, a dissident faction of the former rebel group FARC. Preliminary investigations indicated that a gas cylinder exploded during drug production, triggering the blast. The rebel group also confirmed in a statement that improper handling of the cylinder caused the fire that engulfed the lab within seconds.

The group had rejected FARC’s 2016 peace agreement but is currently engaged in talks with President Gustavo Petro’s leftist government. The explosion site has long been part of a major cocaine trafficking route to the United States, where local smugglers operate with support from Mexican cartels.

At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla group were killed in a violent clash with a rival armed faction in Colombia’s southwestern jungle region, according to the country’s military authorities. The confrontation occurred in a rural area of El Retorno municipality in Guaviare department, about 300 kilometers southwest of Bogotá. The area is strategically important for cocaine production and drug trafficking.

The fighting involved two splinter groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). One faction was led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as ‘Iván Mordisco,’ and the other by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as ‘Calarca Córdoba.’ Military officials said both groups were previously part of the same alliance called the Central General Staff but split in April 2024 due to internal disputes. All 27 killed were members of Vera’s faction, and a leader from Mendoza’s group confirmed the incident.

Mendoza’s faction is currently engaged in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro’s government, while Vera’s group continues violent activities despite a suspended ceasefire. Analysts note that ongoing violence and the groups’ reliance on drug trafficking and illegal mining have stalled Petro’s peace efforts.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump have agreed to launch joint operations against guerrilla groups involved in cocaine trafficking along the Venezuela border. Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti confirmed the agreement on Thursday, following the first phone conversation between the two leaders on Wednesday. The discussion aimed to ease tensions after Trump’s military threats and efforts to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

According to Benedetti, both leaders committed to taking coordinated action against the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia’s remaining major armed rebel group, which Bogotá accuses of seeking refuge in Venezuela after attacks and kidnappings. Petro reportedly asked Trump for cooperation in taking tougher measures along the 2,200-kilometer border, where multiple armed groups compete over drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling routes.

The report noted that despite recent tensions—Trump having labeled Petro a drug trafficker—Petro accepted an invitation to meet Trump in Washington. The two countries have long maintained security cooperation, though relations have cooled since the start of Trump’s second term.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that national security forces are being deployed along the border with Venezuela following recent incidents. In a post on social media platform X, he said Colombia is ready to provide all forms of assistance to potential Venezuelan refugees. The decision was made after an emergency National Security Council meeting that began at 3 a.m. local time (08:00 GMT).

Petro stated that Colombia is preparing its full humanitarian and support capacity to handle any large influx of refugees. He also confirmed that the Colombian embassy in Venezuela remains active and is assisting Colombian citizens residing there. As a member of the United Nations Security Council, Colombia has initiated contact with partner countries to support a possible council meeting on the issue.

Petro emphasized that the Colombian government rejects any aggression against Venezuela’s sovereignty or against Latin America, underscoring a stance of regional solidarity amid rising border concerns.

At least 17 people were killed and 20 others injured when a school bus carrying students and adults fell into an 80-meter-deep ravine in northern Colombia’s Antioquia region. The bus was returning from a graduation trip to the Caribbean town of Tolú and was en route to Medellín when the accident occurred early Sunday morning near El Chispero, on the Remedios–Zaragoza road.

Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián confirmed the tragedy on social media, describing it as a devastating loss for the community during the holiday season. The victims included students from Liceo Antioqueño High School and the driver, Jonathan Taborda Cocacolo, who worked for the tourism company Preculture. Local authorities said the injured, aged between 16 and 27, were taken to hospitals in Segovia and Remedios.

Officials stated that the trip was privately organized by students, not a school-sponsored event. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash, while local leaders and the tourism network have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the affected community.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, saying that failure to take stronger action against the cocaine trade could lead to serious consequences. Speaking at a White House meeting with business leaders, Trump accused Colombia of producing large quantities of cocaine that end up in the United States, urging Petro to act decisively.

The warning comes amid ongoing tensions between the two leaders, who have clashed over drug policy, migration, and trade. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, responded by asserting that his government has already destroyed around 18,400 drug laboratories and cautioned that any interference with Colombia’s sovereignty would amount to a declaration of war. He also invited Trump to visit Colombia and witness anti-narcotics operations firsthand.

The dispute adds to broader regional friction, as Petro has criticized U.S. naval actions in the Caribbean and Trump’s sanctions on Venezuela and Iran. UN human rights experts have condemned those operations as extrajudicial, intensifying diplomatic strains between Bogotá and Washington.