A car bomb exploded near the El Bordo toll plaza on Colombia’s Pan-American Highway, in the south-western department of Cauca, on the morning of Monday 12 October 2026. At least three civilians were wounded, and the road was closed as a precaution.
The blast hit a main road on a holiday Monday, a long weekend when many Colombians and visitors travel by car. The attack matters to Americans planning trips or living in the region, because the Pan-American Highway is a main route through the south-west.
The Army has preliminarily attributed the attack to the Carlos Patiño structure, a dissident group that split from the FARC guerrillas. This is an early assessment, not a claim of responsibility and not a court finding.
- Who: At least three wounded civilians; the Army preliminarily blames the Carlos Patiño FARC dissident structure
- What: A car bomb damaged a large part of a toll plaza’s infrastructure and closed the Pan-American Highway as a precaution
- Where: Near the El Bordo toll plaza, Cauca, Colombia (Patía municipality; some outlets say La Sierra)
- When: Morning of Monday 12 October 2026, a holiday Monday in Colombia
- Status: No deaths reported; motive and any claim of responsibility unknown
- As of 12 October 2026, 12:30 GMT
What We Know
The explosion happened near the El Bordo toll plaza in Cauca. El Tiempo places the site in the municipality of Patía, while Blu Radio names the La Depresión sector in neighbouring La Sierra.
The device was a vehicle-borne bomb, meaning explosives hidden in a car. Blu Radio reports that the blast destroyed a large part of the toll plaza’s infrastructure.
At least three civilians were injured, according to El Tiempo and El Espectador. Publimetro reports that the Army confirmed three injured civilians.
El Tiempo and Publimetro report that no soldiers were affected. No deaths have been reported.
The Pan-American Highway was closed as a precaution while authorities check the area for further explosive devices, according to Blu Radio. Security forces stayed at the site to help restore normal traffic, according to El Tiempo.
The Army’s 29th Brigade secured the site together with the National Police, and air units were sent for technical verification, according to El Tiempo. The Army condemned the attack.
The Army preliminarily attributes the bombing to the Carlos Patiño structure, as reported by El Espectador and Publimetro. El Espectador describes the group as FARC dissidents under the command of alias “Iván Mordisco”.
Colombian officials call such groups Residual Organized Armed Groups, or GAO-r. They are factions of the former FARC guerrilla army that stayed outside, or later abandoned, the 2016 peace agreement.
Cauca is a department, comparable to a US state, in south-western Colombia, with Popayán as its capital. It has long been a centre of armed-group activity.
Four days earlier, on 8 October, explosives left in a dump truck beside an Army base in Miranda, Cauca, were detonated. In April 2026, a bombing near Cajibío, Cauca, killed at least 19 people, as we reported at the time.
What Is Not Known
No claim of responsibility has been reported, and the motive is not known. The Army’s link to the Carlos Patiño structure remains preliminary.
The names of the injured and the severity of their injuries have not been made public. Early reports gave a lower toll than the later figure of at least three.
It is not known how long the Pan-American Highway will stay closed. It is also not known whether any further explosive devices have been found.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
Anyone planning to drive through Cauca should check whether the Pan-American Highway has reopened before setting out. Closure details come from local authorities and may change during the day.
US citizens should read the State Department’s current travel information for Colombia before any trip to Cauca. The department publishes it on travel.state.gov.
Two bomb attacks in Cauca within four days are a reason for caution. They do not by themselves show a wider campaign, and the Army has not said so.
Our Colombia security overview sets out the wider background. The road status and the number of injured may change as authorities finish their checks.
Related reading
- Colombia news hub
- Attack on Army base in Miranda, Cauca
- Cauca bombing near Cajibío, April 2026
- Colombia security overview
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on Colombia’s Pan-American Highway?
A car bomb exploded near the El Bordo toll plaza in Cauca on the morning of Monday 12 October 2026. At least three civilians were wounded, and the road was closed as a precaution.
Who does the Army blame for the attack?
The Army preliminarily attributes it to the Carlos Patiño structure, a FARC dissident group. This is not a claim of responsibility or a court finding.
Was anyone killed?
No deaths have been reported, and El Tiempo says no military personnel were affected. The names and condition of the injured are not known.
Is the Pan-American Highway open?
It was closed as a precaution while authorities checked for further explosives. How long the closure will last is not known.
Sources: El Tiempo; El Espectador; Blu Radio; Publimetro.