Explosives, preliminarily said to have been dropped by drones, damaged the Mondomo toll booth on a main highway in Cauca, southwestern Colombia, early on Saturday 7 November 2026. No injuries were reported, but it is the latest in a run of attacks on toll stations along the Pan-American Highway, the main road from Cali south through Popayán.
Key Facts
- What. Explosives, preliminarily from drones, damaged the Mondomo toll station near Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, early Saturday 7 November.
- Harm. No injuries reported; the Army called the damage minor, while the road operator is still assessing it.
- Pattern. The same toll was hit on 8 August; the El Bordo toll in La Sierra, Cauca, on 12 and 31 October.
- Blame. No authority has officially confirmed who is responsible; early reports point to FARC dissidents, a former guerrilla group.
- Power Index. Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
What Happened at the Toll
The blast hit the Mondomo toll station in the Cachimbal rural district of Santander de Quilichao, a town in northern Cauca, in the early hours of Saturday 7 November 2026. Colombia’s Army said drones fitted with explosives were used near the toll, and sent soldiers of its 29th Brigade, a unit that operates in southwestern Colombia, to secure the corridor.
The Army described the damage as minor, said the situation was under control and said traffic on the highway was open. Nuevo Cauca S.A.S., the private company that runs the road under a state contract, said its technical teams were still assessing the damage.
No injuries were reported in the first accounts. In its Communiqué No. 16, Nuevo Cauca called the attack systematic, thanked the Army and asked for a permanent security presence at toll stations.
A Road Under Repeated Attack
The Mondomo toll was already hit on Saturday 8 August 2026, when explosives went off in the early hours at the unfinished new toll building. The blast caused structural damage, and the highway was first closed as a precaution, then opened to controlled traffic during inspections.
Farther south, a car bomb hit the El Bordo (El Mango) toll in La Sierra on Monday 12 October, and a motorcycle bomb struck again on Saturday 31 October. The Army preliminarily blamed the Carlos Patiño group, a unit of ex-guerrillas who rejected the 2016 peace deal, for the 12 October blast.
Why It Matters
The Pan-American Highway is the main road link between the Cali area, Popayán and southern Colombia toward the southern department of Nariño. Nuevo Cauca says the attacks are systematic rather than isolated, which is why it wants the state to guard its toll stations.
The US Embassy in Colombia tells Americans not to travel to most of Cauca Department, with an exception for the city of Popayán. Cauca has long been hard for the state to secure, as our report on the Army Black Hawk helicopter crash in Cauca also showed.
What Happens Next
Authorities are investigating the drone account. Early reports point to dissidents of the FARC, a former guerrilla group that did not disarm, but no one has been officially blamed.
No date has been given for repairs or for a decision on tighter security at the toll. We will report any official announcement from the Army, the Transport Ministry or Nuevo Cauca.
What Is Not Known
Officials have not confirmed that drones carried the explosives, who launched them, or how much damage the toll suffered. Nuevo Cauca’s damage assessment and any repair timetable have not been published.
What It Means for You
Travellers heading from Cali to Popayán should check the US Embassy’s security alerts and the live road status before leaving. Past attacks have hit toll stations and the people who work in them, so delays are the likelier effect.
For investors, the exposure sits with road concessions and freight costs rather than with Colombian markets as a whole. A longer series of attacks could raise security and insurance bills for operators such as Nuevo Cauca.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Mondomo toll?
Explosives, preliminarily believed to come from drones, damaged the toll station near Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, in the early hours of Saturday 7 November 2026. The Army called the damage minor and no injuries were reported.
Who is behind the attack?
No authority has officially confirmed who is responsible for the 7 November attack. The Army preliminarily blamed a unit of ex-guerrillas, the Carlos Patiño group, for the 12 October attack at El Bordo, not for this one.
Is the Pan-American Highway safe for travellers?
The US Embassy in Colombia advises Americans not to travel to most of Cauca Department, excluding the city of Popayán. Anyone planning the Cali to Popayán road should check the embassy’s latest alerts and road status first.
Sources
National Infrastructure Agency (ANI, the state highway-concession regulator), statement on the Popayán–Santander de Quilichao project, 8 August 2026 (ani.gov.co, read 7 November 2026) · Colombian Army statements, 7 November 2026 · Nuevo Cauca S.A.S., Communiqué No. 16, 7 November 2026 · Ministry of Defence statements, August and October 2026 · US Embassy in Colombia, security advisories (co.usembassy.gov).
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