Colombia

Christmas in Colombia: Nine Nights of Novenas, a Thousand Lights

Christmas in Colombia does not arrive quietly. It announces itself early, with the scent of cinnamon and panela simmering in kitchens, the crackle of fireworks in neighborhood streets, and the steady murmur of voices gathering…

THE CITY PAPER STAFF December 16, 2025

The Puracé in Cauca reaches 4,650 meters (15,256 feet) and sits at the northern end of the Los Coconucos volcanic chain. Photo: Servicio Geológico Colombiano

Puracé Volcano in Southwest Colombia Shows Increased Seismic Activity

The Puracé volcano in southwest Colombia has registered a noticeable uptick in seismic and gas-emission activity over the last 24-hours, prompting authorities to maintain heightened…

THE CITY PAPER STAFF November 25, 2025

Pictograms in the Chiribiquete National Park.

Lines on Stone: The Millennial Rock Art of the La Lindosa Range

At the eastern fringes of the Andes, where the Orinoco River Basin unfurls in an ondulating canvas of green, punctuated by majestic rivers and sandstone…

RICHARD EMBLIN November 20, 2025

Omaira Sánchez remains a symbol of the Armero tragedy, 40-years after her death. Photo: Archive/FILE

Armero: A Journalist Remembers the Night the Earth Turned to Mud

On the night of November 12, 1985, at exactly 10 p.m., the landline rang. “Get ready – the radio car is coming for you,” warned…

HERMOGENES ARDILA DURAN November 12, 2025

Colombia Marks 40 Years Since Palace of Justice Siege by M-19

Forty years after one of the darkest chapters in Colombia’s modern history, the country is commemorating the 1985 Palace of Justice siege amid fierce controversy…

RICHARD EMBLIN November 6, 2025

Ancient Colombians “Unmasked” with Digital Reawakening

For centuries, the funerary masks of Colombia’s Eastern Andes have guarded their secrets. Crafted from resin, clay, wax, maize, and adorned with delicate beads, these…

RICHARD EMBLIN October 6, 2025

Birthrates in Colombia plunge over 30% in a decade

Colombia’s birthrate has plunged 31% in a decade, with just 453,901 babies born in 2024, according to the country's statistics agency DANE. Rising living costs,…

THE CITY PAPER STAFF September 26, 2025

U.S. Decertifies Colombia’s Anti-Drug Efforts, Petro on the Defensive

The United States has decertified Colombia’s anti-drug efforts for the first time since 1994, citing record coca crops under President Gustavo Petro. While Washington issued…

THE CITY PAPER STAFF September 16, 2025

Oscar Pérez-Escobar: Mapping The Orchid Tree of Life

Colombian botanist Oscar Alejandro Pérez-Escobar, Research Group Leader at Kew Gardens, leads the Orchid Tree of Life project, tracing the evolution of 30,000 orchid species.…

RICHARD EMBLIN September 6, 2025

Miguel Uribe Turbay Dies at 39 After Assassination Attempt

Miguel Uribe Turbay, the prominent Colombian politician and presidential candidate has died age 39, two months after an assassination attempt in Bogotá. Turbay was shot…

RICHARD EMBLIN August 11, 2025

Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia Resigns as Washington Weighs “Certification” of Colombia

Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia resigned Thursday, weakening President Gustavo Petro’s government and straining ties with Washington as the U.S. weighs decertifying Colombia over narcotics policy.…

THE CITY PAPER STAFF July 3, 2025

LATIDO: Chef Fernando Arévalo is the Colombian “Heartbeat” of Singapore

Latido, a new restaurant in Singapore’s Chinatown by Colombian chef Fernando Arévalo, offers a heartfelt take on Colombian cuisine. Blending memory, identity, and innovation, the…

RICHARD EMBLIN June 4, 2025