Colombia Offers Record £1 Million Bounty for Rebel Leader After Deadliest Civilian Attack in Two Decades
Bogotá, 28 April 2026
Colombia’s government has announced an unprecedented £1 million reward for capturing rebel leader ‘Marlon’, accused of orchestrating weekend bombings that killed over 20 civilians. The attacks represent the worst violence against civilians in two decades, occurring just weeks before presidential elections on 31 May. The bounty is the highest ever offered by Colombian authorities, reflecting the severity of coordinated strikes across southwestern regions including a devastating motorway explosion that created a massive crater and destroyed multiple vehicles.
Coordinated Weekend Terror Campaign Rocks Southwest Colombia
The violence unfolded across a devastating 72-hour period beginning on Friday, 24 April, with at least 31 terrorist attacks targeting civilian areas across the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Huila and Nariño [4]. The most deadly incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, 25 April, when explosive devices detonated on the Pan-American Highway in the El Túnel sector of Cajibío municipality, Cauca [1][6]. The attack killed 20 people—15 women and five men, all adults—and injured 36 others, with three remaining in intensive care [6]. Governor Octavio Guzmán described it as the ‘most brutal and ruthless attack against the civilian population in decades’ [1].
Record Bounty Targets FARC Dissident Leader
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the 5 billion peso (1) £1 million reward for the capture of the rebel leader known by the alias ‘Marlon’, marking the highest bounty ever offered by Colombian authorities [1]. Marlon belongs to an armed group led by dissident rebel Iván Mordisco, who broke away from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as the organisation negotiated the 2016 peace deal with the government [1]. Mordisco is considered Colombia’s most wanted man and most powerful dissident rebel leader, with his group engaging in illegal mining, extortion and drug trafficking [1]. The attacks have been attributed to the Jaime Martínez structure of Mordisco’s dissidents [6].
Personal Tragedies Emerge from Highway Massacre
The human cost of Saturday’s motorway bombing became starkly apparent through survivors’ testimonies. Luz Dani Valencia, who lost four family members in the attack, expressed her profound grief: ‘We have been immensely hurt by losing four members of our family, friends, people we knew. It is sad, it is sad’ [4]. Vivian Tejada, who lost three relatives, revealed the cruel irony of their journey: ‘The sad thing about all this is that the three were coming from a funeral, they were coming from burying a relative who had died in the city of Palmira’ [4]. The explosion destroyed 15 vehicles and created a massive crater on the major transport route connecting the cities of Cali and Popayán [1][6].
Electoral Timing Raises Security Concerns
The coordinated attacks occurred just over a month before Colombia’s presidential elections scheduled for 31 May, with a possible run-off on 21 June [1]. President Gustavo Petro, whose term ends in August and who is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, has endorsed left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda [1]. Opinion polls suggest Cepeda, who advocates for increased negotiation efforts with rebel groups, currently leads several right-wing opposition candidates who favour a tougher military approach [1]. The timing has intensified debates over security policy, with Minister Sánchez characterising the offensive as ‘a reaction of criminals to Public Force operations’, while acknowledging the deadly impact on civilian populations [4]. Cauca’s hospital network has reached capacity limits, and Governor Guzmán has called for national government intervention to guarantee citizens’ safety [6].