All 15 souls aboard a Satena Airlines flight have been confirmed dead after the aircraft slammed into a mountainside in northeast Colombia on Wednesday. The tragedy has claimed the life of MP Diógenes Quintero Amaya, a champion for conflict victims, plunging the nation into mourning.

The Beechcraft 1900 aircraft, operating Flight NSE 8849, vanished from radar screens just 11 minutes before its scheduled landing in Ocaña. Rescuers battling dense jungle terrain located the wreckage hours later in the rural area of La Playa de Belén, near the Venezuelan border, confirming the worst fears of waiting families: there were no survivors.

A Blow to Peace Efforts

The death of Diógenes Quintero Amaya is a significant blow to Colombia’s fragile peace process.Quintero was not just a politician; he held one of the "peace seats" in Congress, representing the volatile Catatumbo region. He had dedicated his career to advocating for families displaced by decades of guerilla warfare.

"We have lost a voice for the voiceless," stated a colleague in the House of Representatives. "Diógenes walked where others feared to tread. His death in this crash is a cruel irony for a man who spent his life trying to save others from violence."

• The Victims: Alongside the MP, the crash killed Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the upcoming congressional elections, and 13 others including the two-person crew. The passenger manifest reads like a roll call of local leaders and professionals commuting between the regional hub of Cúcuta and Ocaña.
• The Investigation: Civil Aviation authorities have launched an immediate probe. While the cause is yet to be determined, questions are being raised about the age of the aircraft and the treacherous weather conditions common in the mountainous border region.

"Deepest Regret"

Satena, the state-run airline operated by the Colombian Air Force, issued a somber statement expressing "deepest regret" and promising full cooperation with investigators. The airline plays a critical role in connecting remote regions of Colombia often inaccessible by road due to topography or security risks.

For the families gathered at the morgue in Ocaña, the technical details matter less than the crushing reality. In a split second, a routine 40-minute flight turned into a national tragedy, silencing leaders who were carrying the hopes of their communities.