A FARC cylinder bomb misfire into a crowded church killed 119 civilians, making it one of Colombia's deadliest single atrocities of its civil conflict.
Key Facts
- Date
- May 2, 2002
- Total civilian deaths
- 119 people
- Deaths in church explosion
- 79 people
- Refugees sheltering in church
- ~300 people
- Weapon used
- Gas cylinder bomb (cilindro bomba)
- Location
- Bellavista, Bojayá, Chocó, Colombia
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
FARC guerrillas sought to wrest control of the strategically important Atrato River region from AUC paramilitary forces. The two armed groups were engaged in active combat in and around the town of Bellavista, prompting approximately 300 residents to seek shelter inside the local church, believing it would offer protection from the fighting.
On May 2, 2002, FARC fighters fired a makeshift gas cylinder bomb aimed at AUC paramilitaries positioned near a church wall. The projectile passed through the church roof and detonated on the altar inside, where hundreds of civilians had taken refuge. In total, 119 civilians died, with 79 killed directly by the explosion inside the church.
The massacre drew international condemnation and focused attention on the human cost of Colombia's prolonged internal armed conflict. It became a symbol of civilian suffering caused by the tactics of both guerrilla and paramilitary groups, and intensified calls for accountability and a negotiated resolution to the Colombian conflict.