Colombia Plane Crash: 15 Dead, Including Congressman

On Thursday, 29 January 2026, a small passenger Beechcraft 1900 operated by state‑owned airline Satena crashed shortly after take‑off from the Colombian city of Cucuta, heading to Ocana, a mountainous region about 40‑minute flight. The aircraft, carrying two crew and 13 passengers, slammed into the rural mountains of Norte de Santander near the Venezuelan border. Rescue crews found no survivors. Among those killed were Diogenes Quintero, 36, a congressman for Catatumbo representing victims of Colombia’s armed conflict, and Carlos Salcedo, a congressional candidate. Satena has not announced a cause; the emergency beacon was not activated. Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed deep sadness in a social‑media post.