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Autopista Simón Bolívar en el suroriente de Cali, donde un camión abandonado obligó a activar un plan antiterrorista
La autopista Simón Bolívar, en Cali, durante el operativo por el camión abandonado que desató la sospecha de un carro bomba. · El Tiempo

Abandoned Truck in Cali Triggers Antiterror Plan, Hides Marijuana Load

An abandoned truck at Calle 36 and Carrera 43 in Cali triggered the antiterrorist protocol after its driver fled.

--- The context --- Cali and Valle del Cauca faced a Wednesday of alarm and disruptions to public order after two incidents forced preventive closures over explosive devices. --- The facts --- The main incident took place in southeastern Cali, at Calle 36 and Carrera 43, on the Simón Bolívar highway, where a cargo truck was left abandoned in the middle of the road. According to preliminary information, a Metropolitan Police patrol gave the stop signal to the driver, who halted, got out and fled on foot. Faced with the suspicion of a car bomb or a deadly trap, the antiterrorist protocol was activated. According to the Cali Metropolitan Police, the area was cordoned off, traffic was paralyzed and anti-explosives units were deployed with a canine guide. After the inspection, explosives were ruled out and hidden marijuana was found. The road was closed for several hours. --- The positions --- The Metropolitan Police reported the cordon and the inspection. As context, in the early hours of Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at about 3:45 a. m., the Media Canoa toll was affected, on the Cali–Mediacanoa road, at kilometer 36+500, in Yotoco. On that incident, Valle Police stated that, according to preliminary information, individuals on a red motorcycle, in the Mediacanoa–Yumbo direction, allegedly threw an explosive device at the toll, causing damage in two lanes, with no people injured. The department government rejected it; Secretary Guillermo Londoño said it was a high-powered device based on ammonium nitrate, that information can be provided on line 123 or line 107. --- What remains unknown --- The identity and whereabouts of the driver are not confirmed, nor the amount of the marijuana. On the toll, evidentiary material was collected and cameras are being analyzed to trace the escape route, with no identity established for the attackers. --- Unanswered questions --- Why did the driver flee after the stop signal at Calle 36 and Carrera 43? Who threw the device at the Media Canoa toll? What measures will protect users of both roads? --- EPM analysis --- The truck shows the daily cost of road insecurity: a closure of several hours and fear over a suspicion that did not correspond to explosives. The hidden marijuana finding moves the case, based on what was found, to illegal drug transport. At the toll, a device was indeed reported, with damage and no injuries. The search and the cameras should result in verifiable information, so prevention does not remain limited to closures. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the priority must be to protect life and mobility without normalizing fear on the roads of Valle del Cauca. The Cali truck did not contain explosives, according to the official inspection, but it did contain hidden marijuana, and the toll suffered damage with no injuries. Citizens deserve precise and attributed information, investigations with evidence that identify those responsible and sustained preventive measures that care equally for drivers, residents and road workers across the region.
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