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Over 1,200 indigenous protesters occupy Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar

By Richard Emblin - April 3, 2025

Some 1,200 Indigenous people from Colombia’s southwestern departments have gathered peacefully in Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar for a third consecutive day, calling for a meeting with President Gustavo Petro to discuss violence in their territories and the government’s unfulfilled commitments.

Río Atrato: A watery lifeline at the heart of Colombia’s Pacific

By Richard Emblin - November 11, 2024

The Atrato River, flowing over 500 kilometers from the Farallones de Citará in Antioquia to the Gulf of Urabá, serves as a crucial waterway for Colombia’s Chocó department. As it passes through Quibdó, te departmental capital, the river becomes a bustling hub for commerce, connecting remote Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities.

Sardinata and the ancient burial ground of the Chitarero

By Richard Emblin - July 26, 2024

In Sardinata, Norte de Santander, local farmers have found archaeological artifacts of the Chitarero indigenous peoples, an extinct group that played a pivotal role in the early resistance against Spanish conquest.

Colombia’s tall-ship ARC Gloria on the River Thames in London

By The City Paper Staff - July 6, 2024

Colombia’s tall-ship ARC Gloria majestically sailed through London’s Tower Bridge on the same day both Colombia and England reached the semi-finals of their respective football tournaments.

Estoraques de Floresta: A natural wonder in the Boyacá highlands

By Richard Emblin - June 18, 2024

A stunning natural rift valley with towering limestone columns is one of many unique attractions for those visiting the department of Boyacá.

A giant canvas with works by artist Fernando Botero was suspended from the Colombian Congress to mark the funeral ceremony of the world-famous artist. Photo: Richard Emblin

Bogotá in the eyes of Fernando Botero’s “Mona Lisa”

By Richard Emblin - September 23, 2023

A giant canvas depicting some of Fernando Botero’s most famous works covers the façade of the Colombian Congress in Bogotá. The artist will receive the honor of a state funeral on Monday at the Primary Cathedral.

20 de Julio: Celebration of Independence and a nation’s heroes

By The City Paper Staff - July 17, 2023

In Bogotá, the Veinte de Julio Independence Day celebrations include a grand military parade, fly-over by the Air Force, and aeronautical display of the Army’s helicopter gunships.

Members of Colombia's Indigenous Guard occupy the steps of Congress in a defiant act after President Petro warned lawmakers that should government reforms be limited there could be "revolution." Photo: Richard Emblin

Indigenous Guard occupy Bogotá’s historic Plaza de Bolívar

By Richard Emblin - May 7, 2023

In a defiant act to pressure the Colombian Congress in approving the National Development Plan and Health Reform of the government of President Gustavo Petro, some 400 members of the Indigenous Guard are occupying the steps of the Capitol.

Big Picture: Riding the “Yipao” to Cairo

By The City Paper Staff - March 23, 2023

A tested Willy’s Jeep rumbles its way through the countryside near Cairo, Valle del Cauca, laden with fruits and other produce from the region.

“Passengers are requested to mind the mule upon arrival…”

By The City Paper Staff - April 26, 2022

For many living in some of Colombia’s remote regions, including Los Llanos Orientales, the DC-3 continues to be their dream liner.

Afterglow on the ramparts of Cartagena’s walled city

By Richard Emblin - March 27, 2022

The ramparts of Cartagena’s Old City, built by the Spanish to protect their outpost in the New World against buccaneers, basks in the aferglow of a Caribbean sunset.

Plaza de Bolívar

December skies over Bogotá’s Plaza Bolivar

By The City Paper Staff - December 11, 2021

December in Bogotá heralds the arrival of the dry season, a time when the city sheds its usual veil of clouds to reveal piercing blue skies that stretch endlessly over the Andean plateau.

Spiritual leaders from the Sierra Nevada make historic visit to Bogotá

By The City Paper Staff - November 10, 2021

A delegation of spiritual leaders from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta made their first visit to Bogotá to petition the national government for greater conservation of their ancestral territory.

Big Picture: Sunrise over the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

By The City Paper Staff - October 24, 2020

The Sierra Nevada ranks among the most unique ecosystems in the world covering all climatic zones and home to Colombia’s largest archaeological site: the Lost City.

The Nevado del Ruíz volcano from a Bogotá balcony

By Richard Emblin - June 5, 2020

On rare occasions, the active volcano Nevado del Ruíz can be seen from Bogotá, however, given good air quality over the Colombian capital, the views more spectacular than ever.

Big Picture: The silence of quarantine in Cartagena

By The City Paper Staff - April 29, 2020

Quarantine brought tourism to a standstill in Cartagena. For a city that has endured pestilence and siege, COVID-19 will too become memory.