Latest News

Petro’s mockery of Senator Barrera and his horse sparks outrage

By The City Paper Staff - March 20, 2025

Colombian President Gustavo Petro faced backlash for mocking Casanare Senator Alirio Barrera’s grief over his horse’s death. Critics condemned Petro’s remark as cruel and a deflection from his labor reform’s failure, highlighting his tendency to replace debate with personal attacks on social media.

Bogotá’s Teatro Colón stages climate change opera ‘Sun and Sea’

By The City Paper Staff - March 17, 2025

Bogotá’s Teatro Colón transforms into an artificial beach for Sun & Sea, the award-winning Lithuanian opera-performance addressing climate change and mass tourism. Running March 21-24, the immersive production blends music and environmental commentary, offering audiences a unique theatrical experience.

Petro mobilizes Civic Day to defy Congress on social reforms

By The City Paper Staff - March 17, 2025

Colombia’s Gustavo Petro has declared March 18 a “Civic Day” to rally support for his social reforms, bypassing Congress. By pressuring workers to march, Petro risks deepening political divides and setting a dangerous precedent of governance through mass mobilization over the due legislative process.

Violent turf war in Bogotá’s San Bernardo leaves three dead, nine injured

By The City Paper Staff - March 13, 2025

A grenade explosion in Bogotá’s San Bernardo neighborhood on March 12 has killed three and injured nine. District authorities link the attack to ongoing turf wars between criminal groups over control of the micro-trafficking drugs trade.

Petro orders Ecopetrol to source natural gas from Qatar

By The City Paper Staff - March 11, 2025

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for diversifying natural gas imports, ordering state-owned Ecopetrol to source from Qatar in order to reduce costs and end reliance on the U.S. His proposal comes with rising gas prices, inflation concerns, and a significant new gas discovery off Colombia’s coast.

The First Line of Bogotá Metro reaches halfway mark in construction

By The City Paper Staff - March 9, 2025

Bogotá’s Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán announced that the First Line of the Bogotá Metro has reached 50% completion. The 23.9 km line, set to open in 2028, will transform urban mobility, easing congestion and modernizing the city’s public transport system. The first train will arrive in the Colombian capital in September.

Colombia’s top Grammy Artists banned from entering Maduro’s Venezuela

By The City Paper Staff - March 5, 2025

The Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro has banned prominent Colombian Grammy-winning artists, including Juanes, Carlos Vives, Maluma, and Silvestre Dangond, from entering the country. The ba announced by Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s Minister of the Interior, accuses the artists of supporting the opposition and inciting political instability.

U.S and UK intel lead Colombian Police to alias “Terror” of Gulf Clan

By The City Paper Staff - February 25, 2025

Colombia’s National Police, backed with U.S. and U.K. intelligence, killed Gulf Clan leader Oliverio Isaza Gómez, alias “Terror,” in Antioquia. The raid dealt a major blow to drug trafficking and organized crime, disrupting the clan’s expansion in Magdalena Medio.

Bogotá could lift water rationing in April, cautions Mayor Galán

By The City Paper Staff - February 24, 2025

Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán cautioned that water rationing in the Colombian capital could end in April as the Chingaza reservoir system continues to recover. Water rationing was implemented in April, 2024, as the city experienced a severe drought.

ELN attacks in Cúcuta reveal armed control over Colombian border city

By The City Paper Staff - February 21, 2025

Cúcuta grapples with a deep security crisis after ELN attacks injure seven. The government deploys thousands of police and soldiers, offering rewards for information on those responsible for the escalating violence in the Colombian border city.

Colombia’s Justice Minister sounds alarm over child suicides linked to forced recruitment

By The City Paper Staff - February 17, 2025

Colombia’s Justice Minister Ángela María Buitrago warned of rising child suicides linked to forced recruitment by armed groups. Cases surged over 1,000% in four years, particularly in rural areas like Chocó, highlighting the government’s struggle to protect vulnerable youth.

ELN flag spotted on Bogotá’s AutoNorte, Cali denounces FARC clandestine radio

By The City Paper Staff - February 14, 2025

Authorities in Bogotá closed a major motorway after an ELN flag was found near the city’s northern entrance. No explosives were discovered. Police are investigating possible criminal group involvement. Similar flags and a bomb cylinder were found in other regions on anniversary of Camilo Torres’ death.

U.S. to designate Colombia’s Gulf Clan as a Terrorist Organization

By The City Paper Staff - February 13, 2025

The Trump administration designates eight Latin American gangs, including Colombia’s Gulf Clan, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, escalating U.S. counterterrorism efforts against narcotrafficking, human smuggling, and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere.

Defence Minister resigns as ELN violence engulfs Colombia’s Chocó

By The City Paper Staff - February 11, 2025

Colombia faces escalating violence as ELN guerrillas and the Clan del Golfo battle for control in Chocó, displacing thousands and confining over 50,000 residents. Defense Minister Iván Velásquez resigns amid worsening security, leaving vulnerable communities at the mercy of illegal armed groups.

Petro’s cabinet in turmoil as resignations follow Benedetti’s appointment

By The City Paper Staff - February 10, 2025

President Gustavo Petro’s government faces turmoil after key ministers resigned in protest of Armando Benedetti’s appointment as Chief of Staff. Benedetti, implicated in charges of illegal campaign financing, and dubious ties to Venezuela’s Maduro regime, has deepened divisions within Petro’s administration.

Bogotá’s iconic Teatro Mayor presents its 2025 season

By The City Paper Staff - February 6, 2025

Teatro Mayor celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2025 with a diverse program featuring top international performers, festivals, and collaborations. Highlights include classical music, dance, and theater productions, reinforcing its role as a premier cultural hub in Latin America.