Not all news from South America is good, as Colombia is as violent as ever.
Roadside bomb kills 12 in Colombia
Published 25 Apr, 2026 23:45 | Updated 26 Apr, 2026 06:03
A massive roadside blast tore through a bus and other vehicles on Colombia’s Pan-American Highway on Saturday, killing at least 12 people and leaving more than a dozen others wounded in what the authorities called a terrorist attack.
The explosion struck the El Tunel sector in Cajibio, Cauca, blowing a huge crater into one of the country’s most important transport corridors and scattering wreckage across the road.
Videos from the scene show a bus completely torn apart; its engine was propelled with such force that it landed on another bus. Other vehicles traveling along the road at the time were also damaged.
Early official statements put the toll at seven dead and at least 17 injured, but later reporting said several of the wounded died from their injuries, pushing the death toll to 12, mostly local civilians and indigenous people traveling on the bus.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro blamed the attack on dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla movement operating under Ivan Mordisco. In a post on X, Petro called the perpetrators “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers,” demanding a worldwide manhunt against what he described as a narcoterrorist structure.
The bombing came amid at least 26 incidents in just two days across Colombia’s southwest, including attacks on police stations, military units, radar facilities, and infrastructure.
Petro and regional officials described the violence as part of a wider escalation in Cauca, a department long contested by armed groups fighting over cocaine routes, illegal mining, and territorial control.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez convened emergency security meetings and announced a reward for information leading to those responsible. Local leaders condemned the bombing as an indiscriminate strike on civilians designed to spread mass fear ahead of Colombia’s May 31 presidential election.
Toll in Colombia narco-terror attack wave rises to 20 dead, 36 hurt
The dead include 15 women and five men, all adults, while three of the 36 people injured remain hospitalized in intensive care units, according to Octavio Guzmán, governor of the department of Cauca.
The spate of at least two dozen incidents aimed at civilians during a two-day period are blamed on dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that still operate in Cauca state.
The wave escalated sharply on Saturday when an explosive device was detonated at Cajibio along the Pan-American Highway, killing 19 civilians and injuring more than 20 on a passing bus.
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The vital highway running the length of Central and South America was closed over the weekend as police and rescuers worked at the scene of the blast, which left a crater in the highway measuring 200 cubic meters.
"It is a tragedy that tears us apart as a department and deeply mourns our families," Guzmán wrote on a social media post. "There are not enough words for the pain we feel today."
On Sunday, he called the attack "the most brutal and ruthless attack against the civilian population in decades in the Cauca department," but vowed that "in the face of terrorism, we respond with greater institutional presence and comprehensive work."
Officials are working to reopen the highway, identify the victims and send aid to their families, Guzmán said.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro blamed the attacks on militant factions of the now-defunct FARC rebel army commanded by Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, known by the alias Iván Mordisco, who leads the group known as the Central General Staff.
Petro also named Jacobo Arredondo, alias "Marlon," as another suspect in the bombing.
He called the attackers "terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers," asserting they are far-right figures who want to bring fascism to Colombia "because they know that with them they can conduct their cocaine and illicit gold businesses."
The Colombian leader called for a "worldwide pursuit against this narco-terrorist group" and urged financial authorities across South America to crack down on its transactions.
"I want the best soldiers to confront them, I want the Cauca people to free themselves from this mafia," he declared.
Argentina sees early results from investment incentive plan
In an economy in which hard currency shortages often shape government policy and financial stability, early results from the Large Investment Incentive Regime, known by its Spanish acronym RIGI, are being closely watched by government officials and financial markets.
According to figures from Argentina's central bank, projects approved under the program generated a net inflow of $762 million through March. The funds entered the country directly and helped provide some stability to the exchange rate.
Gonzalo Brest, a legal partner at KPMG Argentina, told UPI the progress of the investment regime sends a positive signal for the country's economy.
"In concrete terms, this could translate into more private-sector jobs, especially in areas such as construction, transportation, metalworking, logistics, energy and mining, along with greater economic activity in the provinces where the investments are established," Brest said.
He added that the program's impact could extend beyond employment and affect Argentina's external accounts.
"If these projects move forward, Argentina could increase exports and generate greater foreign currency inflows -- something that is critical for an economy that has historically faced external constraints and balance-of-payments pressures," he said.
Brest said the RIGI program is also intended to address Argentina's long-standing difficulty in attracting large-scale investment in capital-intensive industries that require stable rules over long periods.
"In the government's view, the regime functions as a kind of 'island of stability' aimed at accelerating investment decisions that, without a special framework, would likely be postponed or relocated to other countries," he said.
The program is primarily focused on sectors such as oil and gas, mining, renewable energy, ports and heavy industry, all with strong export potential. Brest said the initiative's main goals are to boost exports, increase foreign currency inflows and create jobs.
Many of the proposed projects are tied to lithium, copper, gold, silver, liquefied natural gas and oil development in Vaca Muerta, one of Argentina's largest shale oil and gas formations.
"These are sectors where Argentina has abundant resources, but needed greater certainty to turn them into production and exports," Brest said.
He cautioned, however, that the program's long-term success will depend on factors beyond the design of the regime itself, including macroeconomic stability, infrastructure, access to financing and public support for large-scale projects.
"Even so, the RIGI is already functioning as a strong signal to international markets that Argentina wants to compete for major investment capital," he said.
The program has received more than 35 project proposals totaling more than $80 billion. Of those, 13 projects have received government approval, representing combined investments of more than $18 billion.
Among the latest proposals under review is the "Fértil Pampa" project led by Pampa Energía. The initiative calls for a nearly $2.4 billion investment to produce fertilizers in the industrial hub of Bahía Blanca in Buenos Aires province.
With these developments, the RIGI program is moving beyond its initial phase of announcements and expectations.
The next challenge will be determining whether the promised investments can be sustained over time and translated into real economic activity, jobs and a stable flow of foreign currency for a country seeking relief from one of its most persistent economic constraints.
Peruvian police raid ex-election chief's home in probe
The investigation includes allegations of aggravated collusion, improper appointment of officials, false statements in administrative procedures and delays or refusal to carry out official duties, according to local media reports.
Peru's National Prosecutor's Office led the operation, which included searches of 12 properties linked to former officials from the National Office of Electoral Processes, known as ONPE, and the legal representative of Gálaga, the company responsible for delivering election materials.
Official sources said investigators were ordered to review both institutional and personal email accounts belonging to those under investigation, according to local broadcaster Canal N.
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The raid occurred two days after Corvetto resigned as head of ONPE.
Peru's political crisis has deepened following a chaotic election process that still lacks final results 12 days after voters went to the polls. Election authorities said final first-round results are expected in mid-May.
Corvetto resigned Wednesday amid mounting political and legal pressure over logistical failures on election day, which he described as "isolated errors." In his resignation letter, he said the controversy made it impossible for him to continue in office with the stability the country required.
His resignation came shortly before he was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors and amid separate investigations by the National Board of Justice and Peru's comptroller general over incidents that included ballot shortages and the discovery of abandoned ballots.
Although Peruvian law bars the head of ONPE from resigning during an active electoral process, Corvetto described his departure as a "necessary and unavoidable" step to guarantee transparency ahead of the runoff election, according to RPP Noticias.
The slow vote-counting has fueled allegations of fraud tied to major logistical failures that forced ONPE to suspend voting at several polling locations and extend voting into a second day, an unprecedented measure in Peru.
Opposition groups and local observers have argued that missing ballots in key districts and the later discovery of ballot boxes abandoned on public roads were not isolated mistakes but part of an alleged effort to manipulate the outcome of the election.
The allegations, fueled by claims of collusion between election officials and logistics contractors, prompted prosecutors to investigate the case as a possible administrative fraud scheme designed to benefit certain candidates.
With nearly 95% of ballots counted, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori remained in first place with 17% of the vote.
The race for second place remained tight between leftist congressman Roberto Sánchez and former Lima Mayor Rafael López Aliaga. Sánchez's lead over López Aliaga stood at fewer than 20,000 votes.
