Colombian lawmaker among 15 missing in plane disappearance

Plane vanished in remote jungle near eastern border with Venezuela; search hindered by dense terrain and adverse weather.Published On 28 Jan 2026Bogota, Colombia – Search and rescue teams in Colombia are searching for a passenger plane carrying 15 passengers that went missing near the eastern border with Venezuela.Two crew members were among the passengers, which included a Colombian congressional representative and a candidate running in the upcoming elections, according to local officials and media reports.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Rubio says Maduro abduction ‘strategic’ necessity, downplays future attackslist 2 of 3US faces war crime allegation for ‘disguising’ aircraft in drug boat attacklist 3 of 3Clashes in Colombia between rival rebel groups kill 27 peopleend of listIt remains unclear what caused the disappearance, but local Air Traffic Control sources say the plane’s flight history shows a sudden altitude drop 11 minutes before it was expected to land in Ocana.The flight, operated by government-run commercial airline Satena, was en route from Cucuta to Ocana, two cities in the North Santander department bordering Venezuela, when it left radar coverage.“The Accident Investigation Directorate of @AerocivilCol reports that it is gathering information regarding the loss of communication from aircraft HK4709, which was flying the Cucuta-Ocaña route with 13 passengers and 2 crew members,” wrote Maria Fernanda Rojas, Colombia’s minister of transport, in a post on X.“The corresponding protocols have been activated, and we have already initiated PMU,” added Rojas, referring to the “Unified Command Post” set up to respond to emergencies.The plane disappeared in a remote region characterised by dense jungle, complicating search-and-rescue efforts.Among the passengers was Diogenes Quintero, a lower house lawmaker who holds a seat specially reserved for conflict victims. He was accompanied by ​​Carlos Salcedo Salazar, a candidate running for the same seat.