Latest News

Trump Endorses De La Espriella, Calls Cepeda a “Radical Left-Wing Marxist”

By Richard Emblin - June 3, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump has thrown his unconditional support behind Colombian hard-right presidential candidate Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella, offering what he described as his “complete and total endorsement” ahead of the country’s June 21 runoff election. The endorsement, published Tuesday evening on Trump’s Truth Social platform, immediately injected an international dimension into Colombia’s […]

From Prose to Fabric: WHITMAN and the Art of Slow Made Fashion

By Richard Emblin - June 2, 2026

In a city where fashion retail can often feel hurried, transactional and beholden to the churn of seasonal algorithms, WHITMAN builds its universe around a radically different proposition: that clothing should invite pause. Step inside one of the Colombian fashion house’s softly lit stores in Bogotá, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Medellín, and there is an immediate […]

Petro Challenges Election Results as Colombia’s “Tiger” Clinches First-Round Victory

By Richard Emblin - June 1, 2026

The hard-right presidential candidate Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella emerged as the frontrunner in Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday, setting up a June 21 runoff against left-wing senator Iván Cepeda after a closely contested first round that was quickly overshadowed by President Gustavo Petro’s allegations of electoral irregularities. According to the final bulletin (No.67) […]

Voting Begins in Colombia’s Closely Watched Presidential Race

By Richard Emblin - May 31, 2026

Much of Colombia woke up to temperate weather and clear skies over the capital, Bogotá. As lines began to form outside polling stations when they opened at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, voters cast their ballots in one of the country’s most closely watched presidential elections in decades, a contest that could redefine the political direction […]

Former Colombia FM Álvaro Leyva Accuses Petro of Undermining Colombia’s Elections

By Richard Emblin - May 27, 2026

Former Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva Durán launched a blistering attack against President Gustavo Petro just days before Colombia heads to the polls on May 31, warning of what he described as looming threats to the country’s democratic institutions and accusing the government of preparing to reject an unfavorable electoral outcome. In a lengthy manifesto […]

Colombia Enters Final Week of Contentious 2026 Presidential Campaign

By Richard Emblin - May 25, 2026

Colombia entered the final week of campaigning on Monday ahead of a presidential election that has exposed deep political divisions, sharpened ideological tensions and raised concerns over the country’s security and economic future. The three leading candidates in the 2026 race wrapped up major public appearances over the weekend with rallies across Bogotá, where supporters […]

“Before They Touch My Family, They’ll Have to Kill Me”: Uribe Warns Protest Outside Antioquia Estate

By Richard Emblin - May 20, 2026

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez confronted a group of protesters outside his residence in Rionegro, Antioquia, on Wednesday after activists began painting a mural referencing victims of Colombia’s “false positives” scandal. Videos and images shared widely on social media showed Uribe surrounded by security personnel while holding a paint roller near the wall where […]

Remembering Totó La Momposina, the Voice of Colombia’s Caribbean Soul

By Richard Emblin - May 19, 2026

When One Hundred Years of Solitude author Gabriel García Márquez accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature in Stockholm in 1982, Colombia arrived with him — not only in prose, but in rhythm, drumbeat and dance. Among the delegation of more than 200 Colombian musicians and artists who traveled to Sweden was a barefoot singer from […]

Battle of the Polls: Valencia to Face Cepeda in Second Round

By Richard Emblin - May 14, 2026

A new national survey suggests Colombia’s 2026 presidential race is shaping into a high-stakes runoff between Iván Cepeda and conservative rival Paloma Valencia, with the first round on May 31 favoring the left-wing senator, but the second round – on June 21 – projecting a narrow victory for the Centro Democratico candidate. The latest poll […]

OSHORTS, the growing presence at Cannes is part of a long-term internationalization strategy. Photo: Black Velvet

BOGOSHORTS Expands Global Audience at Cannes With Latin American Short Films

By Richard Emblin - May 13, 2026

The Bogotá Short Film Festival – BOGOSHORTS – is strengthening its international footprint at the 79th Cannes Film Festival with a major presence at the Short Film Corner | Rendez-vous Industry, positioning Colombian and regional filmmakers before one of the world’s most influential film markets. From May 13 to 24, this leading platforms for Latin […]

Bogotá Fashion Week Strengthens International Push for Colombia’s Designers

By Richard Emblin - May 12, 2026

Under a mirage of glowing escalators inside Bogotá’s Ágora Convention Center, the catwalks of Bogotá Fashion Week opened Tuesday with more than fabrics and silhouettes on display. Behind the runway lights lies a larger ambition: to turn Colombia’s capital into a regional fashion export hub and bring designers from Bogotá’s workshops and popular commercial districts […]

Colombia tributes political legacy of ex-VP Germán Vargas Lleras

By Richard Emblin - May 11, 2026

The departure of former Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras’s coffin from Bogotá’s Palacio de San Carlos on Monday morning blended state mourning with unmistakable political symbolism, as Colombia’s political elite gathered to bid farewell to one of the country’s most influential figures. His daughter, Clemencia Vargas Umaña, attended the ceremony accompanied by her father’s two […]

In Mud We Trust: Ruby Rumié's volcano portraits are on display until June 27 at the Nohra Haime Gallery in New York. Photo: Ruby Rumié.

From Cartagena to Chelsea: Ruby Rumié Brings ¿How Are the Children? to New York

By Richard Emblin - May 6, 2026

At Nohra Haime Gallery, in Manhattan’s white-walled Chelsea district, Cartagena-based artist Ruby Rumié is asking a deceptively simple question: How are the children? It is not a casual greeting, nor the sentimental title of a new exhibition. Instead, it draws from the Maasai expression “Kasserian Ingera,” a phrase that measures the wellbeing of an entire […]

Fabio Ochoa Vasco is the latest member of the ex-Medellín cartel to return to Colombia. Photo: AI generated.

Medellín Cartel’s Fabio Ochoa Vasco Returns to Colombia After U.S. Prison Term

By Richard Emblin - May 5, 2026

Fabio Enrique Ochoa Vasco, a former insider of the defunct Medellín Cartel, and once accused by Pablo Escobar of betrayal and marked for death, has quietly returned to Colombia after serving a prison sentence in the United States, drawing renewed attention to the discreet return of aging narcotics operatives to the country. Ochoa Vasco, known […]

Francis Alÿs at MAMU: A Global Portrait of Childhood Through Play

By Richard Emblin - April 29, 2026

At a time when children are increasingly indoors – absorbed by screens, separated from the street and distanced from the spontaneous rituals of neighborhood play – a new exhibition by the Banco de la República has launched at the Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia (MAMU), and one that asks a deceptively simple question: what happened […]

Passengers are rescued from a municipal bus in Cauca, Colombia, during Saturday's terrorist attack on the Pan-American highway. Photo: X

U.S. Issues Strong “Do Not Travel” Advisory for Southwestern Colombia

By Richard Emblin - April 29, 2026

The United States has updated a “do not travel” warning for large parts of southwestern Colombia after a wave of terrorist attacks have left over 20 people dead, underscoring growing international concern over the country’s deteriorating security situation and prompting regional authorities to demand stronger support from the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro. The […]