Latest News

‘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 Marks First Holiday Dedicated to Nation’s Patroness, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá

By Richard Emblin - July 11, 2026

On Monday, Colombians will celebrate a new national holiday for the first time in the country’s history, honoring Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, the patroness of Colombia, in a commemoration that blends centuries of religious tradition with a renewed political symbolism under President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella. Established under Law 2578 of 2026, […]

Colombia Resets Foreign Policy With Omar Bula as Incoming Foreign Minister

By Richard Emblin - July 9, 2026

Colombia is preparing for one of its most significant foreign policy realignments in more than two decades as President-elect Abelardo De La Espriella assembles a government that promises to restore close strategic relations with the United States and other Western democracies, while distancing the country from the ideological alliances that defined the presidency of Gustavo […]

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 […]

Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella Pledges a ‘Miracle Nation’

By María Claudia Peña - June 23, 2026

Standing behind a bulletproof screen beneath Barranquilla’s towering Ventana al Mundo monument, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella delivered a triumphant yet carefully choreographed victory speech Sunday night, promising to restore security, revive confidence in Colombia’s democratic institutions and govern for all Colombians after one of the closest presidential elections in the country’s modern history. Addressing […]

Colombia’s ‘Tiger’ victory reverberates with world leaders

By Richard Emblin - June 22, 2026

Congratulations poured in from world leaders on Sunday evening after conservative president-elect Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella secured a razor-thin victory in Colombia’s presidential runoff, with messages from Washington to Jerusalem signaling expectations of a significant realignment in the country’s foreign and economic policies. The strongest endorsements came from the United States, where President […]

Abelardo ‘El Tigre’ de la Espriella wins Colombia’s presidency by narrow margin

By Richard Emblin - June 21, 2026

Conservative firebrand Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella has been elected Colombia’s next president after defeating hard-left rival Iván Cepeda in Sunday’s presidential runoff by less than one percentage point, capping one of the closest and most consequential elections in the country’s recent democratic history. According to National Registry Bulletin 18, De la Espriella secured […]

After an Impeccable Campaign, Colombia’s “Tiger” Faces His Greatest Test

By Richard Emblin - June 17, 2026

For the better part of a year, Colombians endured a presidential campaign in which a crowded field of hopefuls traded accusations, unveiled ambitious manifestos and promised to rescue a nation exhausted by polarization, economic uncertainty and a growing sense of institutional drift. When the dust settled, one candidate had consistently risen above the political cacophony: […]

ELN Declares Election Ceasefire as Colombia’s Runoff Faces Voter Coercion

By The City Paper Staff - June 16, 2026

Colombia’s presidential runoff campaign entered its final week under the shadow of security concerns, with the country’s largest remaining Marxist guerrilla announcing a temporary ceasefire while opposition allies filed a criminal complaint alleging armed groups may have influenced first-round voting. The National Liberation Army (ELN) said it would suspend offensive operations between June 20 and […]

Football Jersey Wars: Are Civil Liberties Being Sabotaged in Colombia’s Presidential Run-Off?

By Richard Emblin - June 10, 2026

During four years of Gustavo Petro’s presidential term, Colombians have witnessed the symbolic resurrection of flags and banners that many believe should be relegated to the country’s violent past. The president has brandished Simón Bolívar’s sword at political events, invoked images of the M-19 guerrilla movement of which he was once a member, and even […]

If Colombia’s Left Loses, Will It Accept the Verdict of Democracy?

By Richard Emblin - June 9, 2026

For a country that has spent decades trying to strengthen its democratic institutions, Colombia finds itself confronting an uncomfortable question ahead of the June 21 presidential runoff: If Iván Cepeda loses, will his political movement accept defeat? It is a question that would have seemed unthinkable only a generation ago. Yet it has become increasingly […]