Latest News

The Shadow of U.S. Certification Looms Over Colombia

By Richard Emblin - September 8, 2025

Colombia faces a critical U.S. anti-narcotics certification decision by September 15, testing a security partnership with Washington. Despite record cocaine seizures, coca cultivation has surged, straining ties under President Petro. Defense Minister Sánchez warns decertification would empower illegal armed groups.

President Uribe with his former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos.

The trial of ex-President Uribe puts Colombia at a legal crossroads

By Richard Emblin - April 10, 2024

Colombia’s Álvaro Uribe Vélez will become the first ex-President to stand trial in a criminal case on charges of witness tampering and procedural fraud. This historic legal move can only polarize and deepen the country’s fractured political landscape.

Ecuador: From model of Latin American stability to nation in crisis

By The Conversation - January 17, 2024

The drug violence that erupted on January 9 in Ecuador’s Quito and Guayaquil sends an ominous message across Latin America, given the nation’s long standing reputation of stability in the region.

Does Bogotá have an architectural identity?

By Maria Elisa Ponce de Leon - July 19, 2019

Leading architects explain the defining characteristics of Bogota?’s cityscape. Is there a sustainable future for the capital’s architecture?