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Colombia Earthquake: Death Toll Rises to 202 as Rescue Operations Continue Into Third Day

By The City Paper Staff - August 12, 2026

The death toll from Colombia’s devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake rose to 202 on Wednesday, according to the latest report from the country’s Institute of Legal Medicine, as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings and authorities assessed the full scale of destruction three days after the earthquake struck. The Institute said that, as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, […]

Colombia Quake Toll Rises to 181 as Rescue Crews Search for Survivors Under Rubble

By The City Paper Staff - August 11, 2026

The death toll from Colombia’s powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rose to 181 on Tuesday, with over 1300 injured and estimated 200 missing as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings across the country’s western and central regions. Authorities warned that the death toll is likely to rise as emergency teams work through the rubble of damaged and […]

Powerful 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Colombia, Collapsing Buildings Across Western Cities

By The City Paper Staff - August 10, 2026

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least two people and causing significant damage across the country, with buildings collapsing in several cities and a tower of the historic cathedral in Manizales partially collapsing. The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter near San José del […]

De la Espriella to Take Office in Cali in Unprecedented Presidential Investiture

By The City Paper Staff - August 7, 2026

Abelardo de la Espriella will be sworn in as Colombia’s president on Friday, August 7, in an unprecedented inauguration ceremony held outside the capital Bogotá, with the formal transfer of power taking place at the Arena of the Universidad Santiago de Cali (USC) before the new president delivers his first address to the nation from […]

Rubio expected to lead U.S. delegation to presidential inauguration in Cali

By The City Paper Staff - July 30, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend the inauguration of Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo De La Espriella on August 7, a ceremony that will make history as the country’s first presidential transfer of power to be held outside Bogotá. The inauguration will take place at 3:00 p.m. at the Arena USC on the […]

Colombia’s De la Espriella to Close 14 Embassies, Cut Ties With Cuba and Nicaragua

By The City Paper Staff - July 27, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo De la Espriella announced Sunday, a sweeping overhaul of the country’s diplomatic network, pledging to close 14 embassies and 15 consulates. He also pledged to sever diplomatic relations with Cuba and Nicaragua, and redirect budget cuts toward security and public investment after taking office on August 7. In a video message posted […]

Colombia Denies Entry to Nearly 19,000 Foreigners Since 2022

By The City Paper Staff - July 27, 2026

Colombia’s immigration authority has denied entry to nearly 19,000 foreign nationals since President Gustavo Petro took office in August 2022, citing national security concerns, immigration violations, fraudulent documentation and other legal grounds, according to figures released Monday by Migración Colombia. The government said 18,994 foreigners were refused entry between August 2022 and June 2026 under […]

New U.S.-Colombia chapter takes shape as Rubio meets Colombia’s vice president-elect

By The City Paper Staff - July 16, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Colombia’s Vice President-elect José Manuel Restrepo on Wednesday, signaling what both sides described as the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations as President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella prepares to take office on Aug. 7. The closed-door meeting at the State Department brought together senior members of […]

‘Timochenko’ Urges De la Espriella to Uphold 2016 Peace Agreement

By The City Paper Staff - July 14, 2026

Former FARC commander Rodrigo Londoño, known by his alias “Timochenko,” returned to Colombia over the weekend and appeared Tuesday before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), ending days of speculation that he might remain in Spain following threats by President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella to seek his imprisonment for life over crimes committed during Colombia’s […]

Colombia’s President-Elect Breaks With Tradition, Plans Military Base Inauguration

By The City Paper Staff - July 14, 2026

In one of the most symbolic breaks with Colombia’s republican traditions in modern history, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced Monday that he intends to be sworn into office on August 7 at a military garrison in southern Colombia rather than Bogotá’s iconic Plaza de Bolívar, where every democratically elected Colombian president in recent decades […]

Colombia’s President-Elect Urges International Oversight for Democratic Transition

By The City Paper Staff - July 8, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has appealed to the international community to closely monitor the country’s democratic transition, as outgoing President Gustavo Petro and opposition leader Iván Cepeda attempt to undermine the August 7 transfer of power. In a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, the criminal defense lawyer said he had […]

Colombia’s Mayors back De la Espriella’s anti-crime crackdown

By The City Paper Staff - July 6, 2026

Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella said he will sign a decree on Aug. 7, the day he is sworn into office, creating special “Urban Security Defense Blocs” in the country’s largest cities as part of a sweeping security crackdown and a broader shift away from the outgoing government’s security strategy. De la Espriella, who […]

Colombia’s VP-elect rejects Cepeda’s call for “Civil Disobedience” as tantrum

By The City Paper Staff - July 2, 2026

Colombia’s Vice President-elect José Manuel Restrepo on Wednesday condemned opposition senator Iván Cepeda for calling on supporters to engage in “peaceful civil disobedience” unless President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella renounces his U.S. citizenship before taking office, describing the move as “an anti-democratic tantrum” and an attack on the country’s democratic institutions. The confrontation marks a […]

De la Espriella gives Colombia’s armed groups one month to surrender

By The City Paper Staff - June 25, 2026

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Thursday gave the country’s illegal armed groups one month to submit to justice, pledging to abandon the broad negotiations pursued by the outgoing administration and instead adopt a hardline security strategy aimed at dismantling criminal organizations. Speaking after receiving his official credentials from the National Election Council (CNE) […]

Iván Cepeda concedes election defeat, Petro begins transition to De la Espriella government

By The City Paper Staff - June 24, 2026

Colombian leftist senator Iván Cepeda formally conceded defeat on Wednesday, acknowledging conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella as the country’s president-elect after electoral authorities confirmed that the official vote count closely matched the preliminary tally. The concession, coupled with outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s announcement that he would begin the formal transition of power, marked a […]

U.S. Embassy warns Americans of possible election-related unrest in Colombia

By The City Paper Staff - June 19, 2026

The United States Embassy in Bogotá has urged American citizens to exercise caution ahead of Colombia’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, warning of possible protests, transport disruptions and isolated violence, prompting a sharp rebuke from President Gustavo Petro, who accused Washington of unnecessarily alarming foreign nationals. The security alert, issued on Thursday, comes as Colombia […]