Dissident FARC Factions Launch Dozens of Bombings Before Colombia's Sunday Election
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · May 28
Dissident FARC Factions Launch Dozens of Bombings Before Colombia's Sunday Election
7 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · May 28
Dozens of bombings and drone strikes have hit Colombia in recent months, with dissident FARC factions targeting civilians and military bases days before Sunday’s presidential vote.
Those groups are using election-season violence to protect illegal economies and show they still control territory in rural and border areas where the state remains weak.
The attacks have sharpened the campaign into a referendum on President Gustavo Petro’s faltering “total peace” strategy after talks with several armed groups stalled or collapsed.
Political violence has already deepened fears around the election: senator Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot at a rally last summer and later died, while two allies of candidate Abelardo de la Espriella were killed this month.
The renewed insecurity echoes Colombia’s long history of election-linked bloodshed, raising fresh doubts over democratic participation even after the 2016 FARC peace accord.
As violence surges before the election, is Colombia choosing between fragile peace talks and all-out war?
With its violent past reawakened, can Colombia's democracy survive this bloody election?
Did the government's 'total peace' strategy accidentally empower the very rebels now terrorizing the nation?
Political Violence Escalates Ahead of Colombia’s May 31, 2026 Election: Roots, Consequences, and Peace Prospects
Overview
As Colombia approaches its presidential election on May 31, 2026, the country faces a sharp rise in political violence, especially in the south. FARC dissidents are mainly responsible for this surge, with a series of coordinated attacks around May 20 targeting political leaders and security forces in Cauca. These assaults by organized crime aim to pressure and influence the electoral process, highlighting the worsening security in Colombia’s most troubled regions. The escalation of violence underscores the fragile state of peace and the serious challenges the nation must overcome as it heads to the polls.