Popular music singer Yeison Jiménez, 34, died in a small plane crash this Saturday, leaving Colombia in mourning. The incident happened in a rural area between Paipa and Duitama in the department of Boyacá. Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that the artist was traveling on a private aircraft with five other people, all members of his team, and that there were no survivors, including the crew. Reports indicate that shortly after takeoff, the plane plunged to the ground and completely burned. The flight was headed to Medellín, where the singer was scheduled to meet professional commitments, including a concert in the Antioquia town of Marinilla.
© AFP via Getty ImagesWhat authorities know about the Paipa plane crash
According to initial official reports, the small plane took off from Paipa airport but failed to gain altitude and crashed into an open rural area just a few meters from the runway. Aerocivil said technical investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash, while Transport Minister María Fernanda Rojas noted that weather conditions, the aircraft’s condition, and communications prior to takeoff will be reviewed. The Boyacá governor’s office also confirmed the identities of all those on board, including the artist’s manager and his assistant.
© Getty ImagesThe dream Yeison Jiménez shared that now haunts Colombia
The tragedy has taken on an even more painful dimension because of a haunting account Jiménez himself shared just weeks ago on television. On the show Se dice de mí on Caracol Televisión, the singer revealed that he had dreamed three times about a plane accident, and in one of them, he died. “I dreamed three times that we were going to have a plane accident,” he said at the time. In one of those dreams, he added, “We had died and ended up on the news.” He also remembered that one of those nightmares was just fifteen days before his son was born. His words, which once sounded like an unsettling anecdote, now echo with devastating force. The 34-year-old artist leaves behind three children aged 15, 8, and a year and a half.
© Getty ImagesA country in mourning as leaders and artists react
The national shock was immediate. “To everyone you left behind—your friends, your family, your fans and colleagues—I send my deepest condolences. Thank you for all your love and constant support. We will miss you so much, my dear cousin,” read one of the messages shared publicly. President Gustavo Petro also expressed his sorrow and sent condolences, saying, “Sadly, six people have died in a plane that apparently caught fire during a flight near Paipa.” The music world mourned as well. During a concert at the Manizales Fair, Carlos Vives dedicated a song to the singer and spoke of his sadness over the loss of one of the country’s most beloved voices. “It’s difficult to go out and sing today with this sadness in my heart. The artist from Barranquilla expressed his strength to his family during the concert.
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Natalia Jiménez’s emotional farewell to her cousin and friend
Singer Natalia Jiménez also shared a deeply emotional farewell message. She remembered Yeison as a “cousin, friend, dear buddy,” someone who was a “partner and ally in many battles” without realizing how important they had been to her. She recalled the joyful moments they recently shared in Mexico, where he was known as “the most Mexican Colombian,” and said she could not understand such a sudden departure. “To everyone you left behind—your friends, your family, your fans and colleagues—I send my deepest condolences. Thank you for all your love and constant support. We will miss you so much, my dear cousin,” said the Spanish singer, who has lived in Mexico for more than two decades.
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A career that was reaching its peak
Jiménez, born in Manzanares, Caldas, was considered one of the leading figures in Colombian popular music. His life story, shaped by hard work from a young age and a rapid artistic rise, made him a symbol of effort and authenticity. In 2021, Billboard recognized him as a Latin breakthrough artist, a milestone that confirmed his international reach and the impact of songs like 'Aventurero,' 'Vete,' 'MLP,' and 'Ya no mires atrás,' which cemented him as an essential voice in the genre.
© Getty ImagesConcerts, milestones, and a legacy cut short
His schedule was still expanding. The singer was set to hold his second concert at Bogotá’s El Campín Stadium on March 28, 2026, an achievement reserved for very few Colombian artists and a clear sign of the peak moment his career was reaching. His name ranked among the most searched on digital platforms, and his music had amassed millions of streams, reinforcing his status as one of the most influential figures in popular Colombian music over the past decade.
Yeison Jiménez’s death leaves a deep void in Colombian culture. His voice, charisma, and story of perseverance had won over millions of fans in and outside the country. Today, Colombia mourns not only the loss of an artist at the height of his career but also of a man who, ironically, had admitted he feared the very fate he ended up facing.
© Billboard via Getty ImagesOther air tragedies that shocked the public in recent years
Yeison Jiménez’s death adds to a string of recent air accidents that have affected public figures in different fields. In 2023, Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, died when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed in a mountainous area of the country. That same year, Russian businessman Ravil Maganov, head of the oil company Lukoil, died in a helicopter accident in the Tver region.
© Getty ImagesIn the sports world, the tragedy of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala, whose plane went down in the English Channel in 2019, remains one of the most remembered cases. The crash that killed Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant along with his daughter Gianna in January 2020 is also still fresh in people’s minds, as is the devastating 2016 Chapecoense plane crash, which left 71 victims. All of these tragedies shocked the public and reignited the debate over safety in private air travel.
