Colombian Lawmaker Among 15 Dead In Mountain Crash Near Venezuelan Border

At least 15 people, including Colombian lawmaker, Diogenes Quintero, died on January 28 when a twin‑propeller aircraft crashed in a mountainous region near the Venezuelan border, authorities have confirmed.

Naija News reports that the plane, carrying 13 passengers and two crew members, departed from the border city of Cúcuta and lost contact with air traffic control shortly before its scheduled landing in Ocaña at about 5:00 p.m. GMT, according to reports by Agence France‑Presse (AFP).

“There are no survivors,” an official from the aviation authority told AFP.

The crash site lies in a remote part of the Cúcuta region, an area known for rugged terrain, unpredictable weather and the presence of armed groups, including Colombia’s largest guerrilla faction, the National Liberation Army (ELN).

In response to the accident, the Colombian Air Force was deployed to locate the wreckage and begin the grim task of recovering bodies, NDTV reported.

Local lawmaker Wilmer Carrillo expressed shock over the incident and confirmed that key political figures were on board.

“We have received with concern the information about the air accident in which my colleague, Diogenes Quintero, Carlos Salcedo and their teams were travelling,” Carrillo said.

Quintero was serving in Colombia’s Chamber of Deputies, while Carlos Salcedo was identified as a candidate in the upcoming elections.

The crash adds to a history of fatal aviation accidents involving prominent figures in the country.

In January 2025, a private plane crash in central‑eastern Colombia killed all six people on board, including popular singer, Yeison Jiménez.