A series of coordinated explosions and gun attacks struck southwestern Colombia on June 10, 2025, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people and injuring dozens more. Authorities described these as systematic assaults targeting police facilities in multiple cities and towns.
The incidents occurred in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, and various municipalities within the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. Colombian National Police reported over 20 terrorist acts throughout the day, including car bombings, firearm assaults, and the use of explosive devices.
Among the deceased were at least two police officers, while the 28 injured included civilians, military personnel, and police, according to police reports. The reported death toll varied across official sources, with some indicating up to seven fatalities and as many as 50 individuals wounded.
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed that three explosive devices were detonated in the Los Mangos area near the Meléndez police station and at the Manuela Beltrán Immediate Attention Center, a police substation. Eder later declared the situation “under control” and ordered security forces to be deployed throughout the city.
National Police Chief Carlos Fernando Triana reported that the attackers employed car bombs, motorcycle bombs, rifle fire, and a suspected drone in their coordinated assault. The attacks extended beyond Cali to nearby towns such as Corinto, El Bordo, Jamundi, Villa Rica, and Guachinte, where further explosions damaged municipal buildings and resulted in civilian injuries.
Colombian military officials linked the attacks to the Estado Mayor Central, a guerrilla faction that continued operations after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia signed a peace agreement with the government in 2016. However, the army did not present evidence for this attribution, and the group has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.
In a statement released on June 10, the Estado Mayor Central accused the Colombian government of failing in the peace process and advised civilians on how to avoid crossfire situations. The group urged the public to steer clear of military and police installations but did not claim responsibility for the violence.
The timing of these attacks was particularly significant, occurring just three days after the attempted assassination of conservative Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay in Bogotá. The 39-year-old presidential candidate was shot twice in the head at close range by a suspected teenage hitman during a campaign event on June 7. Uribe remained in critical condition as of June 10, with his hospital reporting that he was stable but required ongoing medical intervention.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro sought assistance from U.S. authorities to investigate the Uribe shooting, stating that the suspect’s weapon was purchased in Arizona. A 15-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges in connection with the assassination attempt.
The wave of violence has heightened concerns among Colombians about a potential return to the intense violence of the 1980s and 1990s, when cartel attacks, guerrilla violence, and political assassinations were common. Mayor Eder referenced this period, noting that attackers wanted to return the country to conditions similar to 1989, including the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán.
Security analysts described the attacks as a well-coordinated offensive demonstrating the guerrilla group’s operational capacity in urban areas. Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group noted that the attacks indicated these organizations’ interest in destabilizing urban security beyond their traditional rural strongholds, where they access illicit economies.
Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro urged President Petro to convene the country’s Security Council to address the current escalation of terrorism, as she termed it. Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez Mina condemned the violence, stating that it was unacceptable to instill fear in people and then offer security.
The attacks took place one day before President Petro was scheduled to visit Cali for a public demonstration organized by labor unions in support of his proposed labor reform. The timing raised additional security concerns for government officials operating in the affected region.
Colombia’s government has struggled to maintain control over territories vacated by FARC rebels following their 2016 peace agreement, with various armed groups attempting to fill the vacuum. Peace negotiations between the Estado Mayor Central faction and the government collapsed in 2024 following a series of attacks on Indigenous communities.
