Latest News

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 […]

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 […]

Omar Rayo’s ‘Labyrinth’ Reframes Modern Latin American Art

By Richard Emblin - June 30, 2026

At first glance, Omar Rayo’s paintings appear to belong to the orderly universe of geometry. Crisp black-and-white planes fold into one another with astonishing precision, ribbons weave endlessly through impossible spaces, and flat surfaces suddenly acquire the illusion of depth. For decades, these hypnotic compositions have earned the Colombian artist comparisons with the international Op […]

Where Strangers Become Friends: The Home Dining Experience of Seis y Seis

By Richard Emblin - June 26, 2026

The front door opens onto a spacious Bogotá apartment overlooking a tree-lined street in La Cabrera. There is no maître d’ waiting behind a podium, no hostess stand, no reservations book resting beside an espresso machine. Instead, Claudia Cepeda welcomes each guest personally, offering an aperitif before inviting them to settle into the living room. […]

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 […]

Bogotá ramps up security ahead of Colombia’s pivotal presidential runoff

By Richard Emblin - June 18, 2026

Bogotá is stepping up security and emergency preparations ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff, deploying more than 12,500 police officers across the Colombian capital while easing alcohol restrictions after reaching a compromise with the city’s hospitality sector during the FIFA World Cup. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán and Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez chaired a high-level Security Council […]

In Bogotá, a Storied Market District Invites Travelers to Look Beyond Its Reputation

By Richard Emblin - June 11, 2026

By 7 a.m., San Victorino is already in motion. Delivery carts rattle across uneven sidewalks. Shopkeepers roll up metal shutters to reveal stacks of denim, sequined dresses and school uniforms. Buyers from Colombia’s Caribbean coast negotiate prices over coffee, while students weave through the crowd on their way to class. The district hums with the […]

From Prose to Fabric: WHITMAN and the Art of Slow Made Fashion

By Richard Emblin - June 2, 2026

In a city where fashion retail can often feel hurried, transactional and beholden to the churn of seasonal algorithms, WHITMAN builds its universe around a radically different proposition: that clothing should invite pause. Step inside one of the Colombian fashion house’s softly lit stores in Bogotá, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Medellín, and there is an immediate […]

Voting Begins in Colombia’s Closely Watched Presidential Race

By Richard Emblin - May 31, 2026

Much of Colombia woke up to temperate weather and clear skies over the capital, Bogotá. As lines began to form outside polling stations when they opened at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, voters cast their ballots in one of the country’s most closely watched presidential elections in decades, a contest that could redefine the political direction […]

Colombia Enters Final Week of Contentious 2026 Presidential Campaign

By Richard Emblin - May 25, 2026

Colombia entered the final week of campaigning on Monday ahead of a presidential election that has exposed deep political divisions, sharpened ideological tensions and raised concerns over the country’s security and economic future. The three leading candidates in the 2026 race wrapped up major public appearances over the weekend with rallies across Bogotá, where supporters […]

Bogotá Fashion Week Strengthens International Push for Colombia’s Designers

By Richard Emblin - May 12, 2026

Under a mirage of glowing escalators inside Bogotá’s Ágora Convention Center, the catwalks of Bogotá Fashion Week opened Tuesday with more than fabrics and silhouettes on display. Behind the runway lights lies a larger ambition: to turn Colombia’s capital into a regional fashion export hub and bring designers from Bogotá’s workshops and popular commercial districts […]

Qatar Airways will operate the CCS and BOG flights starting July 22, 2026. Photo: Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways Set to Operate to Caracas and Bogotá flights

By The City Paper Staff - May 11, 2026

Qatar Airways has affirmed its expansion in the Americas with the launch of new flight operations to Caracas, Venezuela, and Bogotá, Colombia, commencing from 22 July 2026. The service represents a significant milestone for the airline, as Qatar Airways becomes the first Gulf carrier to serve Venezuela, and the first airline to operate flights from […]

Explosive Drone Deactivated Near Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport

By The City Paper Staff - May 8, 2026

Colombian authorities have seized and safely deactivated a commercial drone carrying improvised explosive materials just 5.4 kilometers from Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport and the nearby Military Air Transport Command (CATAM), raising fresh security concerns in the capital three weeks before the country’s May 31 presidential election. The discovery marks a significant escalation from recent […]

Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport is Latin America's busiest transportation hub. Photo: Richard Emblin

Drone sighting forces second suspension of flights at Bogotá’s El Dorado Airport in one week

By The City Paper Staff - April 30, 2026

Colombia’s busiest airport, Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport, was forced to suspend operations early on Thursday after authorities detected a drone near the runway approach path, marking the second disruption in the same week and raising renewed concerns over aviation security at one of Latin America’s busiest air hubs. The latest incident occurred at 5:20 […]

Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán accompanied by Metropolitan Police chief Brigadier General José Daniel Gualdrón.

Bogotá Mayor Galán calls for 8,000 more police after deadly film set attack

By Richard Emblin - April 21, 2026

Bogotá’s mayor has called for a major expansion of the city’s police force following a deadly knife attack on a television production set and a separate killing at a public transport station, as authorities warn of shifting patterns of urban crime in Colombia’s capital. Carlos Fernando Galán said the city requires at least 8,000 additional […]

Lufthansa and Qatar Airways Narrowly Avert Air Collision Over Bogotá

By Richard Emblin - April 20, 2026

A Qatar Airways cargo jet and a Lufthansa passenger plane came within an estimated 200 meters of each other on final approach to Bogotá on Sunday evening, in a near miss that could have resulted in a major airline catastrophe. The incident unfolded near El Dorado International Airport as both aircraft were being guided toward […]